How One Date Changed Jennifer Keller's Life
by DaniWilder
Summary: A revisit of Brainstorm and what occurs next for my favorite pair. Definitely McKeller. Adding an epilogue currently.
1. Rodney Finds His Nerve

**MGM owns all characters and a lot of dialogue from GateWorld.**

**A/N: I wrote most of this over a year ago. I was never going to publish it, but I've been inspired by some recent work by **_**Betherdy Babe**_**, **_**Sineout**_** and **_**Koinekid**_** regarding **_**Brainstorm**_** to brush the dust off this. Since **_**Brainstorm**_** is **_**THE**_** holy grail of McKeller, I was loath to touch it. **

**Thanks Betherdy Babe, as always for beta and your prodding ;-)**

* * *

Rodney stared at the invitation on his computer screen. The SGC had administrative staff to open the mail of those stationed on Atlantis and scan it to them. An ornate invitation for Doctor Rodney McKay arrived at his post office box several days ago according to the postmark. It was from Doctor Malcolm Tunney.

**Doctor M. F. Tunney requests the honor of your presence…**

Atlantis' resident super genius stared at the calligraphy on what was obviously a heavy card stock invitation, wondering why Tunney wanted him to come to a talk about his latest research. The intense competition between the two of them during their doctoral work left no love loss between them. His mind wandered back to graduate school and all the animosity he and his fellow doctoral candidates had for one another.

**Join the greatest minds in Physics to hear about a life-altering discovery.**

_I bet he just wants to rub in my face that he's got a fancy job and I don't exist as far as my peers are concerned._ _Life-altering? From that little prick, I doubt it._

* * *

Later that morning Rodney saw Jennifer entering the mess hall from the opposite direction and a grin spread over his face. He had been thinking about Tunney's invitation all morning and it left him unsettled. There was nothing he wanted to do more than show up well-dressed and able to put Tunney and the others in their respective places. _I do work they could never dream of. A drop-dead gorgeous woman on my arm would round out the picture._

If you said woman to Rodney for the last two years, only one face came to mind: blond hair, bright brown eyes and a smile that made him weak in the knees, Jennifer Keller. The young CMO was a constant in Rodney's life and he longed to make their relationship much more than friendship, but he could never get her alone other than for the occasional meal. _Tunney might actually have given me the opportunity._

"Hello, Rodney," Jennifer said, walking up to him with a big grin on her face. "You look happy today. Did Radek get reassigned?"

Rodney stared at her as an idea formed in his head. He knew she was going back to Earth tomorrow for vacation like he was. _Maybe she'd consider…_

"Are you there?" Jennifer waved a hand in front of his face. A brief flash of concern for him washed over the physician, but passed quickly when he seemed to snap out of his thoughts.

"Sorry," Rodney replied. "Would you like to grab lunch?"

"Sure, I'd love to," Jennifer smiled broadly, trying to convey her immense joy at eating with the cranky astrophysicist. Meals with Rodney were far between, so she needed to cherish them.

They talked about their day and the latest rumor about John and one of the new botanists. Both geniuses never had a shortage of things to talk about but Jennifer thought Rodney was taking great pains to make small talk. When she went to get the drinks, water for her and coffee with one scoop of sugar for Rodney, she glanced back to see him staring at her. Quickly turning away to grab desserts, he almost collided with Master Gunnery Sergeant Dwayne Richards, who entered the mess hall with the usual crowd of big Marines that accompanied him. The Marine reached a hand out quickly to catch Rodney's tray before it dropped.

Richards was the most senior of the Sergeants on the base and a veteran of the SGC, having been recruited out of the Marine Special Forces, Recon Unit, by General O'Neill shortly after the Stargate program was launched. He had a larger-than-life status among the Marines and even Air Force personnel around the base and the fact that the man had a great deal of respect for Rodney meant that the military did not harass the physicist.

Jennifer finished getting their drinks, smiling at Richards as she passed him, and followed Rodney to a table near the back of the mess hall. Once seated, they talked about how busy their last week had been since the incident with the Sekari ended. Jennifer babysat Torren a couple of days ago and told Rodney about the little boy's love of the _Classical Baby_ CD that Rodney gave Teyla. Laughing, the physicist critiqued the arrangement of one of the songs, launching Jennifer into a fit of giggles as she harassed him about listening to baby music.

Since Jennifer was in a good mood, Rodney decided to see if she would help him out with the Tunney problem. Taking a deep breath and sitting up straight after letting his guard down and relaxing during the meal, he said, "Say, I know we only get fourteen days on Earth a year and you miss your dad and all."

"But?" Jennifer got control of her laughter and looked with uncertainty at the man across from her. _What's this all about?_

"See, one of my old... this guy who was doing his doctorate the same time as me, he's giving a big secret presentation about some new thing that he's working on, and everyone and anyone in the physics community's gonna be there and... well... see the thing is, there's this perception out there that, uh, I'm, um..." Rodney could not believe he was saying this to the one person in the known universe whose opinion of him meant everything, but he soldiered on through his embarrassment, "... like a washout recluse."

"Why?" Anger, as she often felt if Rodney was slighted in any way, filled her voice.

"Well, cause I do this for a living. I mean, super double tip-top secret stuff. I mean, I haven't published a paper in nearly a decade, not one that could be read by the general public… and I'm kinda hard to get a hold of, what with living in another galaxy and all," Rodney said.

"Yeah, I know what that's like." Jennifer had only been there two years, but already had disappeared from her academic community so she did know what he was talking about.

"Exactly. They think I'm a shut-in. So I was thinking that, um, if I was to, say, show up with a woman..." Rodney stammered. _Why is this so hard? Because if she refuses you, it'll be the worst thing imaginable. _

"Uh-huh." Jennifer held her breath. _Is he going to ask me on a date?_

"A-a beautiful woman..." Rodney looked down and back up to her face.

Jennifer smiled and tried to remain the poised professional everyone expected her to be. Inside, she was a mess, like a teenager waiting for the star of the school football team to ask her to the prom. _He's complimenting me. Stay calm. Make eye contact. No sudden movements._

"That, um, they would maybe not think that I was... like, a complete loser. It'd be, like, one day… the first night we were there and then you could be off to Chippewa Falls," he paused, looking hopeful, "I mean, it could be fun."

"Hmm. Now, let's see: a room full of physicists, a long-winded presentation to put me to sleep. Yeah, it doesn't really sound like much fun to me. Are there any other incentives you can offer me?" Because she waited over two years for this moment, her pride took over and refused to give him an inch.

"Well, there'll be drinks, probably, and maybe those little sandwiches..." Rodney said obviously grasping for anything to make her agree to go. Realizing he had no choice but to be the arrogant man he was, he offered, "And... me. I'll be there."

"You don't have to fabricate all these reasons on why you need me to be with you. You could just ask me out on a date." Jennifer threw caution to the wind and asked for what she wanted more than anything. Rodney was so cute she could not keep him sweating for too long.

"Hey, I didn't wanna... I mean, I know... you..." Jennifer Keller did not date. It was a known fact among the men of Atlantis. In the two years the most beautiful, desirable woman on the base lived there, she never dated anyone. Part of it was fear of Lorne and Richards, but the other part was a sense that she was just not the type of woman you dated a few times and moved on from. Rodney would be content spending the rest of his life dating her if that's what she wanted.

"I'll say yes," she nearly shouted, afraid he was going to back off.

"Well, you wanna go to this thing with me?" he said, trying to suddenly look confident and self-assured.

"Sure," Jennifer said with a big grin. "I'd love to."

"What? I love... I mean, that's good. Good. Great! That's..." The relieve that coursed through the physicist almost made him say the wrong thing. _Deep breaths and don't get too excited. It's just a conference, not like she's going to your room to have a romantic dinner._

"It's a date," Jennifer said. _Finally!_ The physician was so excited she wanted to reach across the table and kiss him. _Slow down, girl! Go on the date first and then make out with him._

"That's a date." _I can't believe I asked Jennifer out and she said YES! _His heart was racing. He realized that he must have never been happy before in his life. _Just because of this, I might be nice to Tunney._

"So, what's the presentation?" _Act normal. You can go to your quarters and scream later._

"I don't know. He doesn't wanna tell anyone until we all get there but if I know this guy, it'll be a, you know, first class presentation... with, like, second rate science," Rodney said. _I'll have the woman I love on my arm so I don't care what he babbles about. _

They picked up their trays and left the table, both visibly glowing to anyone who looked at them.

"Probably some minor adjustment to someone else's work, but the food'll be good," _But not as good as…_

"And the company," Jennifer smiled, finishing his thought.

Hearing Jennifer speaking his thoughts out loud caused Rodney to pause for a moment, still smiling broadly at her_. Does she feel the same way I do? No, can't be. She's being nice like she always is. That's all._

TBC

**

* * *

A/N: ****This is from the same universe as the first story I ever wrote, **_**The New Arrival**_**, and there will be a few references to things in that story.**

**I used to switch POV all the time when I first started writing, so apologies for that. I did not want to rewrite all that I wrote. Reviews are the food of my muse, so thank you for any you see fit to leave. **


	2. A Marine's Blessing

**MGM owns all characters except my OCs.**

**A/N: Thank you so much for the overwhelming positive reviews. I am humbled. **

**Thanks Betherdy Babe for your beta work.**

* * *

Jennifer was on cloud nine for the rest of the day because they were gating to Earth in the morning. _Only need to wait one more night before I'm on a date with the man I love._ The physician had hoped to have dinner with Rodney, but was disappointed when she called him and he said he had work for Woolsey that needed to be done in order to leave with everyone else.

"Okay. I'll just have to eat by myself in my office," she said smiling.

"Better than eating with half the Marines on the base," Rodney muttered.

"Why would you say that? Oh, wait… are you jealous?" Jennifer had no idea what made her ask and she held her breath for Rodney's response.

"Why would I be jealous?" Rodney's defensive voice was clear over her earwig.

"Don't know. Rumor has it that anyone who so much as thinks of asking me out has to do ten rounds with Richards," Jennifer said, her grin getting wider. "Are you ready for that?"

"Master Gunnery Sergeant Richards happens to like me, so I'm exempt from his beatings," Rodney replied smugly.

"Is that so?" Jennifer couldn't help but laugh out loud as she pictured Rodney sitting at his computer, crossing his arms and looking superior.

"Yes, it is," Rodney said. "Now, I need to get this stuff done or Woolsey won't let me go." His voice got serious and a bit like the kid who can't play without cleaning his room.

"You are not getting out of this date that easily," Jennifer said.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied. "Oh, I got a message that said we need formal attire. Hope you have an evening gown in your magical backpack that always has everything we ever need when off world."

Jennifer's throat suddenly went dry, her eyes widened and a dreamy smile spread over her face. "No. I'll have to go shopping when we get there. What time is the party and where is it?"

"It's at three and we're getting picked up in Colorado Springs, so you'll have time to go shopping," Rodney replied.

They said their goodbyes and Jennifer let out a long contented sigh. _Seeing him in a tux is another added incentive._

* * *

Jennifer organized files, reviewed some research proposals from her staff and set up experiments to be run while she was gone. Looking up after hours, she saw that it was 10pm and realized that she hadn't eaten. Full of restless energy, she headed to the mess hall for a quick bite before retiring to her quarters to pack and fantasize about what _might_ happen between her and Rodney in the future.

"Jennifer, what are you doing here so late?" Major Lorne called out when Jennifer entered the mess hall. Her _big brother_ was seated at a table in the back reading from his tablet and drinking a large cup of coffee.

Waving over to him, she pointed toward the fridge where leftover food was kept for those who worked late. Grabbing a chicken salad wrap, a bag of potato chips and a bottle of water, she made her way over to the Major.

"I know I won't get any sleep until I'm exhausted tonight, so I'm working late." Jennifer could not stop smiling as she dug into her sandwich.

"Wow. I've never seen you this… _excited_? What are you doing for vacation?" Evan saw a glow about Jennifer's face. She was always pretty but now looked absolutely gorgeous. For a split second, a part of him asked why he never thought of her as more than a friend. It was that line of thinking that made the Major realize what must be causing the flush to her cheeks and never-ending grin. He groaned. "No. Please don't tell me!"

"Tell you what?" Jennifer asked.

"That _someone_… who you've been pining away for a couple years now, finally asked you out?" Lorne groaned. Why she liked McKay was so far beyond comprehension, he pretended like it was not a fact of life.

"Well I'm telling you." The physician found she was getting angry at Lorne's reaction. _I've confided in him that I had a crush on Rodney and he never seemed to react other than to roll his eyes and say we're not in high school._

"Jennifer, you can't _seriously_ be considering dating him? He'll probably just parade you around like a prize he won and..." Lorne regretted the words as soon as they left his lips.

The beautiful glow of someone in love was gone, replaced by the angry glare of a woman defending her man. "And what?" Jennifer snapped, her voice rising in pitch and volume. "I'll be proud to be shown off by him if that's what he wants. I love him and I'd do much more than go on one date with him if he asked."

"Did you just say you loved McKay?" Lorne replied with a raised voice as well. He knew she had a crush on the arrogant man, but didn't think it was that serious. His concern regarding McKay's track record with woman and the sweet doctor seated across from him caused his protective nature to take control.

The sound of their raised voices must have passed into the corridor because Sergeant Richards came into the mess hall at that moment.

"What's going on, _sir_?" Richard's sharp, cold voice echoed through the room.

Jennifer glared at Lorne, crossing her arms and forcing each breath out slowly. The incredulous look on Lorne's face that turned to one of mild disgust fueled her anger.

"Master Gunny, perhaps you can help me talk some sense into our CMO," Evan said, obviously not noting the tone of Richard's voice. "I thought she said she was in love with Doctor McKay."

Jennifer's first encounter with the _legendary_ Master Gunny Richards, in this very mess hall, saved his life and earned his trust. Her dedication and caring for everyone, no matter what rank they held, along with her courage, which she showed repeatedly during her two years on Atlantis, earned her his admiration as well.

"Yes. I did say I was in love with him," Jennifer said quietly. She had told no one that she loved Rodney. Well, she told her dad that she was in love with a man who didn't know she existed. Robert Keller replied that no man could be so clueless where his daughter was involved, but her dad never met a man like Rodney before.

"You think she's not making sense, sir?" the big Marine said as he stopped next to their table, standing nearly at attention.

"Master Gunny, you can't think McKay won't mess things up and break her heart, can you?" Lorne asked as he mirrored Jennifer's body language and looked up at Richards. He, like all soldiers, knew of Richards' eternal gratitude to Jennifer and his own fierce protection of the young doctor from Chippewa Falls.

"Stop talking about me, Evan. I'm right in front of you and if you insult Rodney again, you better pray I'm never on duty when your team comes back." Jennifer was furious. She loved Evan like a brother, but his opinion of Rodney pissed her off.

"Please, calm down, Doctor Keller..." Richards said, trying to sooth Jennifer with his voice. His grey eyes looked at her with as much gentleness as a twenty-year veteran of the Corp could have in them. "You don't want to lose sleep tonight, especially if you have a date tomorrow night."

"You don't seriously think it's a good idea for them to get together, do you?" Evan asked incredulously. "Remember what he did to Doctor Brown? She left the SGC after he finished with her."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Evan," Jennifer said, finally jumping out of her seat. "Stop listening to rumors and gossip. I happen to know what happened, so…"

"Jennifer," Richards said calmly. "I know you're upset that Major Lorne is not comfortable with you and Doctor McKay, but you really don't want to spend the night angry."

"Wait a minute," Lorne stood and addressed the Sergeant. "You damn near tear the heads off new recruits when they mention the _hot, young CMO_. Now you think it's okay for McKay to take her on a date and parade her around like a trophy he just won?"

"Evan," Jennifer hissed. "I warned…"

"Doctor McKay has nothing but the noblest of intentions regarding Doctor Keller," Richards interjected, calmly placing a hand over the shoulder of the small woman next to him. "It's obvious to anyone who watches him around her."

"Noblest of intentions? Is this medieval Europe?" Lorne replied.

"How do you know that, Gunny?" Jennifer asked, ignoring Lorne. _Richards thinks Rodney really cares about me?_

Richards smiled at her. "It's in his eyes."

Jennifer could not help but smile for a moment. _Perhaps what happened during the Second Childhood infection was real_. He never spoke about his profession of love, so she was uncertain if they were true feelings or a patient-doctor infatuation.

"Are you telling me you condone a date between these two? It's McKay. The man's arrogant, condescending, treats us like dirt, whines constantly, loves to hear himself…"

Jennifer snapped. "That's it. Don't step foot in my infirmary without expecting the longest most painful physical you ever had done by Doctor…"

"Jennifer, calm down. Major Lorne doesn't want to see you get hurt and is unaware of what Doctor McKay has done to protect you. My reputation alone isn't enough to deter some of the cockier Marines we recruit." Richards confided, squeezing her shoulder gently to draw her attention away from her friend.

"What are you talking about?" Jennifer asked.

"If any of the new recruits so much as mentions your name in a disrespectful manner and it gets back to Doctor McKay, there are all kinds of problems on the barracks level: lights won't stop turning on and off, toilets flush backwards, no hot water, no cold water. As soon as they complain to me or one of the other soldiers then they get sent down for some training with me," Gunny finished. "If what they said is really bad, I recruit Ronon."

Lorne groaned. He knew this was a battle he lost. _Jennifer and Rodney? If the Corp agrees, who am I to disagree? _Shaking his head and letting out a long, defeated sigh, he sat back down.

"Really? That doesn't sound like Rodney at all. Why haven't you said anything before?" Jennifer smiled and the glow started to return. Envisioning Rodney plotting revenge on someone for commenting about her looks in the middle of the night made her smile widen. _He really does care._

"I don't meddle in affairs of the heart," Gunny said, "Too dangerous."

* * *

It was well after midnight when Jennifer got back to her quarters after finishing her meal in the mess hall with Richards and Lorne. Once the Master Gunny overruled him regarding Rodney, Evan acknowledged that McKay was probably the best one for her to date if only because he could easily beat him senseless should he ever hurt her.

Knowing she would never sleep, she showered, dressed in a pink sweater and tan pants for her trip to Earth later that morning and sat down to watch a movie on her laptop. Her mind drifted to thoughts of what she might be doing tomorrow night and, without expecting to, she fell asleep.

Jennifer heard pounding and muffled cries of her name. Shaking her head and looking around, she realized she fell asleep on her couch and slept for 6 hours. _Oh no! I'm going to miss the dial out. _She jumped up and looked for her earwig. _Oh please, Mister Woolsey, don't dial on time._

TBC

**A/N: Yes, bowing to all the Richards lovers out there to give him more of a part in this story.**


	3. Random Encounters

**A/N: Thank you for the wonderful reviews. McKeller fans are the best! **

**Thanks Betherdy for your beta. **

* * *

Unable to locate her earwig where she fell asleep, she tore through her desk, forgetting about the pounding on her door._ I gotta find it. Tell Woolsey I'm coming. Oh, Rodney'll think I stood him up. _When her door swished open, she screamed.

"Jennifer, what's wrong?" Rodney asked, his voice full of concern as he entered her quarters. _What is she doing?_

"Rodney! How did you get in here?" Jennifer gasped, trying to stop her pounding heart at the sight of him. He was wearing a dark blue polo shirt and black pants, making him look casual and even more handsome to her eyes.

"Override. I didn't know what happened. When you didn't show up in the Gateroom, I thought… thought you might have… overslept or _something_." He shuffled his feet and looked down.

"No," Jennifer smiled and Rodney's heart melted when he looked at her. "You thought I changed my mind. I have a very rare opportunity that I am _not_ going to pass up."

"Wha…what's that?" Rodney gulped as Jennifer walked over to stand in front of him. She was so close they were almost touching and he could smell her familiar flowery shampoo. Her fluffy pink sweater and casual pants outlined her body perfectly. He was suddenly thankful he'd left his shirt un-tucked because her nearness was affecting him in ways best not _flaunted_ before a first date.

"The opportunity to see you in a tuxedo," she said with a sly smirk. Realizing they were alone in her quarters and off duty, a sudden desire to kiss him came over her. It was so strong she felt herself swaying towards him.

Rodney wanted to kiss Jennifer more than he ever wanted anything, even his coveted Nobel Prize. He locked his eyes with her tawny ones and swore he saw her swaying towards him. As if hypnotized by the perfectly shaped lips and eyes the shade of her favorite drink, hot chocolate, he threw caution to the wind and decided to go for it.

"Doctor McKay," Woolsey said over his earwig.

Shaking his head and stepping back, he spoke to his boss with an annoyed sigh, "Doctor Keller and I are on our way."

"Time to go." Jennifer was extremely frustrated. She had dated a little, but never felt such desire for someone before. A shiver ran through her body at the thought that she wanted so much more than kisses from the genius who was now grabbing her bags.

"Is this everything?" Rodney asked, looking around and trying to clear his head.

"Yes, and you don't have to carry my bags," Jennifer said with a smile. A memory of Rodney fighting with Ronon over her bags came to mind.

"It's the gentlemanly thing to do," Rodney said, trying to sound sophisticated. "After you." He motioned for her to leave her quarters.

"What time do I need to be ready and where do I meet you? I'm going to need to go shopping for some evening attire," Jennifer said as they walked toward the Gateroom.

"We'll be getting to the base at 10 am, so the time is not too far off Atlantis time. You should be able to buy a dress and get back if you're staying on the base with plenty of time," Rodney explained. "The limo'll get you at 2:30."

"Get _me_? What about you? Aren't you staying on base?" Jennifer asked, her heart suddenly dropping. _If Rodney's not on the base, he might just drop me off and leave after the night was over._

"I'm staying at the _The Broadmoor_ for a couple days before I go to Vancouver on Monday," Rodney said.

She was surprised about the 5-star hotel, but shouldn't have been. _What did Rodney have to spend money on? _SGC provided room and board, uniforms and food. The ridiculous salary that she made must be nothing in comparison to what Rodney must make. He'd been with the SGC almost ten years.

"I'll head to the mall right away then. For the record, I really hate shopping," Jennifer lamented. "So how are you getting a tux?"

"Well… I… My stuff is in a storage," Rodney stammered and appeared embarrassed.

"You _own_ a tuxedo?" Jennifer stopped and stared.

"Well. I… It's not like I have anything to spend money on." Rodney actually blushed, which melted Jennifer's heart.

"So you bought a tuxedo?" Jennifer asked. Somehow she never imagined Rodney to spend money on expensive clothing.

"A while ago. It's stored at a dry cleaner's in Colorado Springs," Rodney said defensively.

"Is this a _Bruce Wayne _thing?" Jennifer named Rodney's favorite super hero's alter ego.

"What?" It was Rodney's turn to be shocked.

"The _Batman _thing. I know he's your favorite super hero." Jennifer smiled and continued walking to the Gateroom happy to have stunned the astrophysicist with her knowledge of his passions.

"Doctor Keller, nice of you to join us," Mister Woolsey said from the balcony over the Gateroom. He was obviously annoyed, so Rodney and Jennifer waved and quickly went through the Gate.

* * *

"Doctor Keller?" a deep voice called out as Jennifer was looking at a directory. She had taken one of the cars from the base's motor pool and was now trying to find a store to buy her dress from.

Turning, Jennifer saw piercing blue eyes and a big smile set on an extremely handsome face. Many years ago Colonel Cameron Mitchell would have been the type of man to send her heart into overdrive and her brain to mush, but not now. The hunky Air Force Colonel was just another pretty-boy to the jaded doctor; she'd seen hundreds in the last two years. The only blue eyes and smile to make her swoon anymore was picking up his tuxedo.

Suppressing a sigh, she turned. "Colonel Mitchell, what are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," he said.

Colonel Mitchell was always around when Jennifer was at the SGC. She had a running joke with him that he was not in charge of a Gate team any longer and only loitered around the base. "Loitering at the _mall_ now, are we?" she asked with a smile.

"Birthday gift for a nephew," he replied, looking over her civilian attire with an appreciative eye.

"Evening gown for a date," Jennifer replied, noticing glares from several young women passing by.

"A date? You?" Mitchell said with surprise in his voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jennifer asked, crossing her arms defensively. _Leave it to a flyboy to ruin my mood. _She immediately thought of Lorne and let some of her annoyance with him carry over to Mitchell. "I can't go on a date?"

"No. I mean… Yes, you can," Mitchell stammered. "It's just that… I'm surprised it's someone from here. If you know what I mean." He stepped closer and lowered his voice. It was difficult to be in public and meet someone from the SGC due to all the secrecy.

"No, I don't." Jennifer furrowed her brow and stared up at Mitchell. _What is he talking about?_

"I can understand why most of the guys you work with stay away. Hell, Richards scares me sometimes," the Colonel laughed only to stop when Jennifer raised her eyebrows and cocked her head. "Anyways. I figured if you'd date anyone it'd be Sheppard, Lorne or Ronon. The only guys Richards would trust. Since I know none of them are here, I gotta believe it's somebody I work with."

Jennifer closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "There is someone else Richards trusts and he's not in the pools."

It was now Mitchell's turn to be shocked, again. "Pools?"

"I'm not stupid. I know about the betting pools. Cadman and Dusty are the major culprits and they're supposed to be my friends. Who I date is my business. But I'll tell you because I'm glad he asked me out." She fixed the handsome pilot with a glare that would send most men scrambling. "I'm going on a date with Rodney."

"Rodney who?" Of course the likelihood he'd be in her infirmary was slim so that was probably why he dug himself a bigger hole.

"Rodney McKay," Jennifer snapped.

"McKay?" Mitchell seemed like he was incapable of comprehension.

"Yes," she said, unable to hide the annoyance in her voice. Somehow she never expected so much resistance to her and Rodney. _We're both geniuses, don't enjoy parties or social events very much, were always on the outside looking in; we're a perfect match._

"Are you dating him because you feel sorry for him?" Mitchell asked, still in shock that the arrogant, condescending man who drove Carter nuts for years had a date with the most sought after woman in two galaxies.

"No, it's not a sympathy date." She knew she'd never be able to face Mitchell again, but decided she didn't care and continued speaking, "As a matter of fact, I'm heading off to _Victoria's Secret_ right now with the hopes that the date might last through the _morning_." Turning away as quickly as she could before her flaming face registered in his shocked blue eyes, she headed off toward said store, calling out, "Have a nice day, Colonel."

* * *

"McKay. Doctor Rodney McKay," the physicist said to the young woman behind the counter at the dry cleaners. The roll of her eyes should have sparked a long diatribe about how bad customer service had gotten, but Rodney had a date with Jennifer Keller and nothing could upset him.

"I don't think she cares," Samantha Carter said, causing Rodney to jump.

"Sam, what are you doing here?" he said as he looked at the woman he used to fantasize about dressed in black: leather jacket, t-shirt and jeans.

"The same as you, picking up my dry cleaning," she said, reaching out to shake his hand.

Rodney chuckled. "Storage costs are steep, but they're close by and do a good job."

Sam smiled because there was not an ounce of snark in his statement. _Rodney McKay was trying to joke around. _"You're in a good mood. Anything fun planned for your vacation?"

"Family. Tunney's little gathering," Rodney said. He assumed Sam knew about the event because she had connections in the astrophysics' community.

"Glad someone I know is going," she said. "Gotta say I'm curious what he's up to. You know I was told to check him out a few years ago to recruit to the program."

"No!" Rodney couldn't believe he might have been working with Tunney.

"He said he refused to work any place he couldn't share his knowledge with the world some day," she chuckled.

"Arrogant little bastard," Rodney said as the disinterested clerk returned with his tuxedo in a clear bag.

Sam had to laugh. Rodney McKay definitely grew up in some regards since going to Pegasus. Yes, he was still arrogant and difficult to work with, but he seemed to have relaxed a bit since she met him years ago. "Pretty fancy for a physics talk." The tuxedo she could see through the bag looked expensive and she imagined he'd cut a striking image in it.

"Formal attire is required," Rodney replied as he handed his credit card to the clerk. "At least I already had this. My date has to buy a dress. Feel bad about that. Guess I'll have to find a way to make it up to her."

Samantha Carter started in shock for a moment at the way Rodney mentioned a date. _Did he get back together with Katie Brown?_ Remembering Rodney's confession when she arrived that he was seeing someone and later finding out it was Katie had been a surprise. She honestly could never remember seeing the two of them together. Shaking her head, she assumed Rodney was exaggerating, as he was prone to do. "I'm sure you'll think of something, being a genius and all."

Rodney looked at Sam and suddenly realized he felt nothing but a sisterly affection for her. Laughing, he replied, "I hope so, but if I need any pointers I'll be sure to give you a call. See you in two weeks if you're around then?"

Sam laughed once again and called to him as he left, "Sure and please say _hi_ to Jeannie for me." _He must be taking his sister._

Rodney looked a bit confused, but replied, "Will do. Bye Sam."

* * *

Colonel Carter approached Daniel Jackson, who was looking around the corner ahead with raised eyebrows and a smirk on his face.

"Daniel?"

"Sam," he said, jumping and turning. His face was flushed and he adjusted his glasses. "You're back early from DC. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," she said with a smile. "What are you doing?" she asked as she walked forward to see what Daniel was looking at. _Not what, but who._

"She looks… uh… lovely, don't you think?" Daniel muttered. "I mean we don't see folks that dressed up often."

Jennifer Keller was standing outside the elevators that lead up to the main entrance of the mountain. She was dressed in evening attire with her hair curled around her face and partially clipped back. The physician was holding a small overnight bag with her.

"Wow. Everyone from Atlantis is getting dressed up around here," Sam said, smiling and turning to harass Daniel for checking out the CMO of Atlantis. "I ran into McKay getting a tux."

"They're going on a date," Mitchell's voice said as he came up the hall behind Sam.

"What!" Jackson and Carter both turned to look at the team leader of SG1, shock evident on their faces.

"You can't be serious?" Daniel said. "McKay?"

Sam was about to say something but stopped. A memory of being trapped in a mine with the two of them came back. The easy banter and camaraderie they seemed to share was similar to many experiences she had with Jack. Knowing that Jennifer had felt awkward and out of place often while on Atlantis, Carter could imagine that the uber-confident McKay had a certain appeal to the young woman.

"Oh, Doctor Keller made it abundantly clear to me that this was a _real_ date." Mitchell shook his head.

The three former teammates stood watching the beautiful woman wave good-bye to Doctor Lam and leave the base with a grin stretching from ear-to-ear.

"How about some dinner?" Sam said, trying to get the men to stop moping now that an extremely eligible woman just might be off the market_. McKay, you still never fail to amaze me._

"I'd love some lemon chicken."

TBC

* * *

**A/N: The SG1 people just popped into my head. Never wrote Mitchell before, so sorry to offend my SG1 lovers out there.**


	4. Departure

**MGM owns all characters except OCs. Some dialogue taken from Gateworld.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for your great reviews. I reference something from **_**The New Arrival**_** if you haven't read it. Thanks to Betherdy Babe my beta and my adviser.**

* * *

Rodney McKay paced around the boarding area at Colorado Springs Airport waiting for the limo to deliver his date to him. A part of him wanted to go with her to buy a dress and hang around like two _normal_ people at the local mall. Even though he despised shopping, he would have been thrilled to have Jennifer walking with him and perhaps even holding his hand. It seemed like she really wanted him to kiss her that morning on Atlantis and Rodney prayed he hadn't imagined the brief look of annoyance in her eyes when Woolsey called him, breaking their eye contact.

The genius had gone shopping after his run-in with Sam at the dry cleaners because the need to get Jennifer something for agreeing to come to a boring physics talk kept nagging at him. Seeing a jewelry store on the way to the hotel, Rodney went in and left with an expensive necklace.

As he felt the long black case in his jacket, he suddenly wondered what possessed him to buy a diamond necklace for Jennifer on their first date._ Probably the fact that you've been in love with her since you saw her beam into the Gateroom and nearly fell down the stairs. _Rubbing the velvety box and hoping it was not too ugly or too big for her, he found himself staring absent-mindedly out the window.

* * *

Jennifer arrived at the airport after the first limo ride of her life in great spirits. She told the driver that fact so the older gentleman took her for a longer ride around the area. It kept Rodney waiting, but Jennifer suddenly felt a bit concerned about the evening.

The physician had gone to a couple of these types of events for doctors when she was in medical school. They were supposed to be informal social events but always turned into a festival of one-upmanship by the competitive doctors. Her date was perhaps the most competitive man alive, so it should prove interesting. Because of the nature of the environment she never stayed late when she went alone. If Rodney wanted to stay all night, however, she wasn't going to complain. Her flight to Chippewa Falls in the morning could be rescheduled.

Walking into the boarding area Jennifer saw Rodney and stopped her thoughts, her breathing and her heart. He looked dashing, more handsome than she ever remembered. The cut of the black tuxedo jacket made his shoulders appear broader and gave him an even more commanding presence than he normally had. Staring with a silly grin on her face, the girl from Chippewa Falls couldn't move. _He's perfect so you better not screw this up._

Rodney must have sensed the woman he loved staring at him because he turned, looking at her with the same silly expression she had. Jennifer was more beautiful than he imagined she would be. Having only seen her in a uniform or baggy work out clothing, he was not prepared for the vision of beauty standing across the room and watching him. His expressive blue eyes looked from her perfectly styled hair, drawn back but leaving a few locks to frame her face, down her body, taking in the black knee-length dress that showed some skin but not enough to be risqué and back to her face once again. Her cleavage was eye-catching and Rodney's visual assessment paused there for a moment, feeding his desire for her. _How the hell am I supposed to say or do anything intelligent without any blood in my brain?_

Jennifer walked over to her handsome date, blushing a light shade of pink and laughing. "What have you done with Doctor McKay? I wish I took a cell phone with a camera."

"Uh… You're gorgeous. I'm going to be the envy of every man there," Rodney said in a voice void of sarcasm and full of awe. He was truly blown away by her appearance.

"Thank you, but I feel so…" Jennifer paused, smoothing the transparent layer of her skirt over the purple satin beneath, "… exposed."

"You're beautiful," he said in a hushed tone as he stepped closer to her. A wave of possessiveness washed over him as he imagined horny scientists trying to get her attention all evening. A strong desire to claim her in a manner of speaking drove his hand into his pocket to pull out the box.

Jennifer's eyes widened as she saw Rodney holding a small velvety case in his hands. _What did he do?_

"I… Um… I got you… something," he stammered. "It's a thank you. For taking time to come with me."

"Rodney, I _wanted_ to go on a date with you," Jennifer said, looking into the blue eyes that haunted her dreams. "You didn't have to get me something."

"No, I did. I mean I needed to… uh… wanted to. I wanted to get you something," Rodney said. "It can be a birthday, Christmas and… I don't know other holidays all rolled into one." The physicist shoved the box into her hands unsure of what he was supposed to do.

Jennifer's grandmother was the last person to give her jewelry when she was eight on her birthday, a tiny necklace with a unicorn on it because she loved unicorns at the time. The necklace she saw sitting in the case she opened was exquisite, a silver pendant with four flower petals lined with stones and set on an intricate layering of metal. Looking closely at the stones and the larger one in the middle, Jennifer gasped, "Rodney, please tell me these aren't diamonds?"

Rodney stepped so close her bare arm brushed his tuxedo-clad one, sending a shiver through her. "They better be or I'm going to be pretty pissed off at the clerk."

"I… I can…" Jennifer stopped in the middle of her refusal to take his gift when she saw a crestfallen look take over his handsome face. "Rodney, it's wonderful you got me something, but… It's just…" She stopped speaking when her date averted his eyes.

"Sorry. I knew it was stupid, but I made you buy a dress and miss a day with your dad," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking down at his feet. "You can take it back and get something…"

"Rodney, I'm sorry," she said, grasping his closest bicep and squeezing gently. "No one's ever bought me jewelry before. Well, no guy anyways. I'm not sure what to do."

"Really?" Rodney was shocked that past boyfriends didn't shower the gorgeous woman with candy, jewels, kisses… _Stop that train of thought. _A flash of intense jealousy coursed through him as he thought of nameless men kissing the woman he worshipped from afar for so long.

"Thank you," Jennifer finally said. "I shouldn't except a gift like this, but if you insist, I'll take it. Could you help me put it on?"

Rodney almost groaned out loud as she pulled her hair up and off her neck after handing him the box. The alabaster skin that was revealed under her golden mane caused a tightening of his lower body and a shudder to pass through him. He stood dumbfounded for a moment with the open box in his hands and a terrified look on his face. _I'm supposed to touch her? How the hell am I going to do that and not drag her into a closet?_

Jennifer held her hair off her neck and waited for Rodney to put the necklace around her neck. "Rodney, are you okay?" she asked as she turned to look at him standing behind her. It appeared he didn't know what to do. "Oh, I forgot to remove it. They can be tricky to get out of the boxes sometimes."

Jennifer turned back to Rodney and took the box from his hands, brushing against his palms as she took it. The contact made her feel warm all over. Jennifer remembered a time when she was held in his arms over the course of several days after Carson died and she cried every time they were alone together. Because she had been devastated, she never paid attention to the feeling of being in his arms and having his hands stroke her back to calm her down. Longing for that physical closeness again, she stepped closer to him as she took the necklace out of the box.

"Here it is," Jennifer said, holding the necklace up and unclasping the hook.

Rodney looked at the tiny clasps that he was supposed to hook together with a blank expression. "Uh…"

"This clasp is easy, just tiny. The chain looks too delicate to hold the pendant, which is beautiful by the way," Jennifer said as she placed each end of the necklace into his hands and turned, pulling up her hair again. "Just put it around my neck."

Rodney took a deep breath and stepped behind her. _Don't think about the smell of her that always calms you on a bad day. Don't remember her soft hair that's brushed against you. And don't get too close or you'll wrap her in your arms and hold her forever._ Listening to all the voices screaming in his head, Rodney reached around Jennifer's neck to put on the necklace. Holding his breath, he pulled the chain together and his fingers lightly brushed the silky smooth skin at the nape of her neck.

Jennifer suddenly hunched her shoulders and laughed. "Hey, that tickles."

Rodney smiled when he heard the laughter in her voice. His uncertainty seemed to disappear as he settled his hands on her shoulders, half on bare flesh and half on the sleeves of her dress. "Ticklish, hhmm? I'll need to remember that for later." What possessed him to say such a thing was unknown to the genius.

Jennifer turned around with a red flush spreading from her face down her neck and under the necklace where it lay slightly below her collarbone. "Later?" her voice said in a quiet, questioning tone.

"I… I didn't mean later tonight later. I-I m-meant much later. Like weeks or-or even months later," Rodney stammered, wanting to punch himself. _Idiot! Idiot! She's going to think you're a horny fifteen-year-old. Get yourself under control._

Jennifer felt an unknown feeling flow through her body, an anticipation she'd never experienced before. _Rodney McKay just made reference to us being together weeks or even months from now._ Euphoria replaced the anticipation and the young woman threw all caution to the wind.

Stepping into his space, placing her hands on his shoulders and leaning up on her toes, she placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for the necklace and the date," she said as she stepped back.

Rodney's hands immediately halted her retreat by grasping her waist. His blue eyes zeroed in on her lips as his head began to lower.

"Doctor Rodney McKay. Doctor Jennifer Keller," a man's voice said, interrupting their moment. "The plane is ready."

* * *

Jennifer felt like a princess: limo ride, private jet, handsome prince on her arm and a diamond necklace around her throat. _If those brats from high school could see me now. _A big smile spread over her face as she looked at the desert fly by beneath them. Picking up a glass of champagne, Jennifer noticed that Rodney didn't look too happy. Hoping to lift his spirits, she said with a grin, "This is exciting."

"Well, it's just a plane," Rodney responded sourly. Being interrupted twice in one day when he was so close to paradise put him in a foul mood. Not to mention Jennifer had been laughing and giggling with the pilots who showed her the cockpit once she said she'd never flown in a small plane.

"Yeah, but I've never even flown first class. I mean this is amazing. Limos, private jets, champagne and have you tried these strawberries?" Jennifer asked.

"When I was ten I ate a bowlful of strawberries and threw up. Haven't been able to stomach them since," Rodney whined.

"How does this guy afford all this? I thought he was just a physicist," she asked.

"Well, he was always able to dupe guys with deep pockets into backing his research, you know? It's amazing what a nice smile and a PowerPoint presentation'll get you," Rodney replied bitterly.

"Well, I am impressed," Jennifer said.

"Yes, I can see that." Jennifer's excitement because of all the things Tunney provided was too much for Rodney's fragile ego to take where the young doctor was concerned. He glanced angrily out the window.

"Oh, come on. You should be happy for your friend's success," she said.

"Well, he's more of an acquaintance than a friend," Rodney said.

"Acquaintances don't pick you up in private planes," Jennifer replied, too caught up in her own excitement at finally being on a date with Rodney to care about his dismissal of his friend.

"He didn't send the jet to be nice; he sent the jet to rub it in my face," Rodney said pointedly. "Look, I was always one step ahead of this guy during school and now that we're in the real world he wants to show me that, as far as most of the planet is concerned, he's a lot more successful than I am. And what is with the evening attire? We're going to a science talk, for God's sake! Who the hell does he think he is?" Rodney finally got his rant going full steam.

"Is this what the whole date is gonna be like? Are you gonna be in a bad mood?" Jennifer sighed resignedly and cocked an eyebrow. _I should have known it couldn't last, he's complaining like he does on Atlantis. Well, he better not start treating me like he did there or I'll kill him._

"No." Fear replaced anger quickly in Rodney's mind. _I've upset Jennifer._

"Cause we're back on Earth in a private jet, drinking expensive champagne and all dressed up. We have no disasters to deal with. So what if your friend only wants to rub his success in your face, _I_ know all that you've done. You've done more than everyone we'll meet today could ever dream of doing in their lifetimes," Jennifer said hotly.

"You're right. You're right." Rodney felt ashamed of himself for ranting about Tunney and in turn making his beautiful date upset.

Jennifer smiled and let out a breath of relief. Picking up her champagne glass, her eyes quickly traveled over her handsome date, who was picking up one of the strawberries.

Rodney held it up to her and smiled. "Hmm?"

She laughed as she saw him take a bite and apparently not care for the sweet fruit._ Okay, no chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine's Day for us. _A flush covered her cheeks and she quickly looked out the window as an image of them laying on a bed, feeding each other the fruit in front of her filled her head. Quickly setting down the champagne, which was obviously going to her head, the physician asked Rodney about his plans with Jeannie. _He hasn't even kissed you yet so slow down, girl._

TBC

**

* * *

A/N: I know lots of fluff, but I don't have fluff going on right now in my other SGA stories so I gotta stick it somewhere. Thanks for bearing with me**.


	5. Dinosaurs, Physicists and Pluto

**MGM owns all characters.**

**Thanks to all the reviewers and Betherdy Babe for beta work. A major fluff advisement is being posted here. You've been warned.**

* * *

Rodney and Jennifer approached the reception desk of Kramer Innovations where a male receptionist was looking at a clipboard and talking with other guests. Jennifer glanced shyly at Rodney, who was looking around with uncertainty in his eyes.

After Rodney's whining about Tunney on the plane, the two geniuses began discussing things they wanted to do on Earth for the rest of the flight, in particular, the foods they were dying to eat. Jennifer had noticed Rodney was careful not to suggest they have any of these foods together. That thought and his current look left the physician uncertain of the future of their time together. Realizing she was going to have to make the next move before the night was out, she began working herself up to ask Rodney for a second date. _The night's still young, _she told herself_, plenty of time to beg him to see you again._

"McKay. Doctor Rodney McKay," Rodney said in his arrogant voice. "Doctor Jennifer Keller." The physicist gestured to his date and almost let out a sigh. She was so beautiful; he really wished he'd brought her someplace else for their first date. Seeing several people he recognized ahead of them made him realize the people they were going to meet could humiliate him. It was not something the arrogant man wanted to admit but these people knew him long before Atlantis. _I was a real jerk back then._

"Yes, welcome," the receptionist said, setting down his clipboard and looking up. "I'll just need you both to sign this non-disclosure and confidentiality agreement."

Two large stacks of paper were dropped in front of the Lanteans and Rodney growled, "Oh, you're not serious."

"Is there a problem, sir?" an annoyed voice asked.

"This whole thing is a confidentiality agreement?" Rodney questioned. _Tunney's still an ass and it doesn't matter that Jennifer's with me, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind._

"Yes, sir," the receptionist replied.

"What could he possibly be doing back there that needs to be kept two hundred pages secret?" Rodney asked.

"If you want to go inside, sir, you need to sign the agreement," came a belligerent reply.

Jennifer picked up her pen and chuckled as Rodney looked stubbornly at the receptionist.

"Dinosaurs?" Rodney said.

Jennifer was forced to squeeze her eyes shut and bite her lip not to laugh hysterically. A scene from _Jurassic Park_ had come to mind when she started signing. _Rodney and I do think alike._

"Excuse me?" the receptionist replied.

"Do they have living dinosaurs back there? Because I'll sign this if he's brought dinosaurs back to life, but short of that he's out of his mind if he thinks I'm gonna pretend that whatever discovery he has made is so important and so secret that I have to sign the unabridged works of William Shakespeare here," Rodney ranted.

Unable to hold her humor in much longer, Jennifer decided to force her date to get a move on. "Just sign it. I didn't come all this way to be stood up at the last moment."

"Well, you're just lucky the lady's here, aren't you?" Rodney said, taking the pen from Jennifer and signing the document.

As the couple walked toward the reception area, Jennifer leaned close to Rodney and whispered, "You know, dinosaurs would _almost_ be as good as the company."

Rodney's shocked expression caused Jennifer to laugh and playfully hit his arm. When the grin that made her heart leap in her chest graced the astrophysicist's face, she rubbed the spot she hit gently.

Her date leaned close and whispered conspiratorially, "You know that could be arranged. If you were dying to see some."

It was Jennifer's turn to be shocked. "I thought that address had been erased?"

"Erased doesn't mean it's forgotten," Rodney said with his blue eyes twinkling. "It would be rather… risky, but I think I know just the pilot to try it."

"Why, Doctor McKay, are you asking me on another date?" Jennifer giggled and slid her hand around his upper arm. Another wide-eyed expression graced his handsome features as she noticed something on a table nearby. "Look, little sandwiches," she said, making Rodney laugh.

* * *

A short time later Rodney and Jennifer were standing near the main buffet table with a plate of assorted foods and a white wine for Jennifer. She never drank wine because it went straight to her head, but didn't care this evening. _If Rodney wants to take advantage of me, I won't complain._ "Where do you think we are? We were only in the air a little under an hour." She asked, taking a sip of her wine and looking around the reception area. The small town girl recognized some faces she'd seen on television in the crowd.

"I don't know. Arizona, Nevada. I didn't think people even built secret facilities any more. Seems so 1950s," Rodney replied, glancing around.

"Rodney McKay?" a voice called out as Rodney and Jennifer turned. "We had it on good authority that you were dead."

Jennifer held her breath for a moment as she recognized Bill Nye, the Science Guy, from her childhood and Neil deGrasse Tyson, a man whose programs about the universe were watched by her father all the time. She moved closer to Rodney and tried as hard as should could not to act star struck. Bill Nye's sarcastic tone raised Jennifer's suspicion about the intention of their visit.

Rodney laughed in a forced way as they drew near.

"And this would be your sister?" Neil's slow assessment of her body sealed her suspicion that they were both up to no good where her date was concerned.

Jennifer smiled what she hoped was her most adoring smile at the man with her. She took a lot of time getting ready and tried to look really pretty so she made Rodney look cool. _I never thought I'd be a trophy, but for Rodney I'd do anything._

"No, no, Neil, you know, she's not my sister. This is Doctor Jennifer Keller," Rodney said, nodding to the other men. "It's…"

"Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson. I know. I used to watch Mister Nye when I was a little kid. You're probably one of the reasons I'm a scientist," she said, reaching out to shake his hand.

"I-I did start doing this at a very young age," Bill said, obviously taken aback by Jennifer's put down.

Rodney tried not to laugh at the deflated look on Bill's face. _Could I possibly love this woman anymore than I do now?_

"Doctor Tyson. It's a pleasure to meet you. My father watches your programs all the time and made me bring him to the Hayden Planetarium when he visited me in Boston," Jennifer said, shaking Neil's hand.

"No, the pleasure's mine," Neil said slowly letting her hand go.

"And she's taken, Neil," Rodney said possessively.

"Oh no, I didn't mean it that way, no," Neil quickly replied.

Jennifer grinned at Rodney even more. _He's jealous. _Moving closer to him, she laughed when Rodney told her, "Neil likes to steal things from me… things like women and theoretical physics ideas."

"You did mention that before," Jennifer said with a smile that broadened as she saw Rodney's eyes widen again. _Yes, I remember everything you said in that mine_, she tried to tell him with her own eyes and her smile.

"Yeah, but who hasn't stolen an idea from the great Rodney McKay?" Tyson said.

"Oh, so we admit it now." Rodney brightened.

"See, back in the day whenever any one of these people came up with a new idea or published a new paper, Doctor McKay here would swear that he was already working on something very similar; just hadn't gotten around to publishing it yet," Bill said, stepping closer to Jennifer.

"He'd say things like, _I was about to say that very same thing_ or _I was just about to have that same idea_," Tyson said laughing.

"Hey, at least I didn't declassify Pluto from planet status. Way to make all the little kids cry, Neil. That make you feel like a big man?" Rodney replied as his greatest fear was unfolding around him. They were trying to make him look stupid in front of Jennifer.

Bill tried to explain to Jennifer about the Pluto debate. "See, thanks to Doctor Tyson, Pluto is now the first of the plutoids, a new class of celestial object. It's cool. Come on, Rodney. It's the twenty-first century!"

"I must admit as a non-astronomer I have a hard time understanding why. I mean Pluto's diameter of approximately 1,400 miles, which does make it tiny for a planet, but it's huge for a Kuiper Belt object; the next largest known member is only about 300 miles across. So what happened to Charon? Is it still a moon or now a plutoid too?" Stunned silence filled their little gathering. Jennifer hadn't made jaws drop in a scientific crowd since she shot down Carson Beckett when he gave a lecture during her freshman year of medical school. The fifteen-year-old genius found a mistake in his presentation and had no social skills at the time to hold her tongue.

Tyson, Nye and Rodney had raised brows, wide eyes and slack jaws. Surprising such an impressive crowd boosted her ego immensely as she slid her arm around Rodney's shoulders. "Yes, _honey_, I read about your field from time to time," she said sweetly.

Tyson nodded and finally said, "Those are valid questions to have."

"Leave it to _my_ Jennifer to continue to surprise me," Rodney said, sliding his arm around her waist, obviously catching on to her little game.

Nye and Tyson looked awkward as the couple smiled at each other. Neil spoke first. "So, McKay, what've you been doing? When was the last time you even published a paper? It was, like, the eighties?"

"It ... hasn't been that long," Rodney replied meekly. All the confidence he gained from Jennifer's knowledge of astrophysics was gone.

"I think I was listening to that band _A Flock of Seagulls_ while I was reading it," Bill laughed.

"Actually it might have been pre-Reagan," Tyson said.

Jennifer knew exactly what was going on. She'd been on the receiving end of mockery and ridicule any chance her peers got to point out the slightest thing she said or did wrong. Her love for Rodney drove her off the deep end as she responded. "Rodney's work involving black hole accretion disks led him into new and interesting areas of research. His lack of publishing doesn't reflect on his lack of effort. Some research takes decades to be able to present to the rest of your community. I'd expect two scientists of your caliber to know that."

Rodney was flabbergasted that Jennifer knew about his doctoral work. _How did she know that? And she just did it; I love her even more than I did a moment ago._ Quickly recovering so they didn't suspect that he and Jennifer were on their first date, he said, "Well, it has been great running into you guys. We should, maybe, get our seats?"

* * *

Jennifer smiled coyly at him after they said their good-byes and walked away from the scientists. "You realize they were trying to embarrass you in front of me, don't you?"

Rodney tightened his hold around Jennifer's waist as they walked. They fit together perfectly as he always dreamed they would. "You seemed to be doing a fair amount of embarrassing as well. I'm glad you're here and not to show you off, which I'm more than happy to do. But…" Rodney trailed off as he realized what he was letting on.

"I'm glad to keep you company and I'll be standing in your corner, _always_." Jennifer put all her love into the look she shot Rodney after she spoke. "And you don't really believe Pluto should still be a planet do you?"

"Of course not," Rodney said with a knowing smile.

The two geniuses of Atlantis had a pink glow about them as they entered the darkened auditorium to finally listen to what Tunney was presenting.

"Damn, no room for dinosaurs."

TBC

**

* * *

**

**A/N: It has been commented on that Jennifer seems very _forward_ for a first date. A reminder that Jennifer has been in love with Rodney for two years. **

**They ran into dinosaurs in Season 1, The Siege Part 1 (or at least John, Teyla and Ford did).  
**


	6. Tunney's Idea?

**MGM owns all characters. Dialogue from Gateworld.**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and Betherdy Babe for beta.**

* * *

Rodney grudgingly removed his arm from Jennifer's waist so they could make their way to seats about halfway down the tiered auditorium. As Rodney moved into the row with Jennifer behind him, he noticed several other people from graduate school. Vocalizing his thoughts out loud, the physicist nearly groaned, "I think maybe this was a bad idea."

"Why?" Jennifer asked.

"Well, I just... I remembered I don't really like these people," Rodney said.

"Is it that you don't like them, or maybe they don't like you?"

"Well, possibly. I mean, I used to be a little…" he paused, searching for the right word, "... abrasive?"

"Oh. _Used to be_," Jennifer replied, rolling her eyes and trying not to laugh.

"Yeah," he replied, looking as if he was admitting something unknown to her.

Jennifer had to look away to hide her laughter. "Well you have mellowed since I met you two years ago."

"Well, it's hard to explain how I used to be. My field is very competitive," Rodney said.

"Yeah, I went to med school for six years and got two PhDs. I wouldn't know anything about that." Jennifer once again was annoyed with Rodney. This time it was for worrying too much about his colleagues and not thinking about their date. As she folded her hands around her knee, she realized her dreams of a future with Rodney were probably just that, _dreams_. After their walk to the auditorium with their arms around each other, Jennifer thought for certain they finally got over those _awkward_ first date moments.

"Oh. Right. I'm sorry," Rodney said, realizing he was putting down Jennifer's intelligence. "You know I think you're the smartest person I've worked with, right?"

"Thank you, Rodney. I think that's the greatest compliment you could ever give me." It took her a moment of stunned silence to finally remember why she was annoyed with him. "But, not everything has to be a competition, Rodney. Anyone who's read anything you've ever written would know you were a genius in a heartbeat."

"And how do you know so much about my written work?" Rodney asked, realizing he needed to find out how she knew his doctoral thesis.

Jennifer began to blush furiously and averted her eyes before looking back at him. "I've read _everything_ you've written."

"Really?" Rodney couldn't believe that. "Didn't you find it… boring?"

"No. I tried to ask you about it when we first met if you remember, but you thought I was playing a joke on you and didn't really know anything," she said with a smile.

Rodney blanched, remembering that conversation. "I… Ah… You know I thought Carson got you to ask that."

"I know," she smiled.

"Well, if you want to ask me anything… later… I mean much later, not…" he stammered and shut up as Jennifer laughed.

"You keep talking about all these _things_ we can do later, but at this point we only have one _tentative_ date after this one," the physician said and then she closed her mouth too.

Rodney's eyes widened for about the hundredth time in the last two days. _Did Jennifer want to get together more times than just for the trip to see dinosaurs? Should I ask her to do something on Earth? _

Before he could do anything, another voice from the row in front called his name and said he thought Rodney had died as well. Annoyance and anger replaced Rodney's good mood. "Still think they all _know_ I'm the smartest man in this building?"

"Of course they do," Jennifer said, angry with the annoying man who just called out to Rodney. "You don't have to keep reminding them."

"If I did then I wouldn't get so many annoying…" Rodney started only to stop as Jennifer leaned close, resting her arm on the armrest.

"Rodney, we're on our first date and I've come to a Physics talk, okay? You've got to bend a little bit too. I'm not asking for too much. Just stop trying to one-up everyone, okay? It's called being humble. You've heard that word before?" Jennifer asked, looking up at Rodney's face only to see his eyes looking down. _Great, they've upset him so much he won't even look me in the eyes._ "Rodney, I'm not mad."

"Hhhmm?" Rodney couldn't draw his eyes away from the view he was getting down the front of Jennifer's dress. When she leaned close to him, the bodice on her dress separated from the skin beneath it enough for the physicist to see the pale skin on her chest, curving… He nearly groaned aloud.

"Rodney?"

Jennifer's voice pulled him out of his sexual fantasy, causing him to look into her eyes.

"Rodney, don't let them get to you. If you try being humble, I guarantee you their opinions won't matter," she said.

Her brown eyes stared back and a small smile lifted the corners of her mouth. _A perfect mouth. One meant to be kissed, repeatedly. For hours and hours. _"Hhmm. Humble?" It was the only word he heard her say.

"Yes. Humble," Jennifer repeated, obviously oblivious to his perverted stare at her breasts.

"Humble, eh? I guess I can try anything once." He finally managed to put words together.

A beautiful smile crossed Jennifer's face because Rodney finally appeared normal again. Angry that he had obviously been so upset that he couldn't even put two words together for a moment, she decided to make the next move and reached over to take his hand.

When Rodney felt Jennifer's small cool hand slip into his, a grin spread over his face. The physicist, who avoided handholding and other public displays of affection until he met this woman, laced their fingers together so their palms rubbed intimately against each other and squeezed. The return of pressure by Jennifer and her even bigger smile made him realize he'd made the right decision when he asked her to come with him.

Dramatic native American-style music began to play and a rotating image of the Earth as seen from space appeared on the large screen at the front of the hall. Malcolm Tunney's voice came over the speakers, causing Rodney to roll his eyes. "Earth… our home, our planet; the very vessel of life. Our world, unique, irreplaceable. And yet, at times, it seems like we are unrelenting in our quest to drive our ecosystem into catastrophic failure. Gone unchecked, global warming will transform this lush world we know today into a lifeless and arid rock."

Various images scrolled over the screen during the voice over: destroyed forests, trucks digging up the landscape, a polar bear on a small ice floe; cars belching out exhaust fumes. The picture of Earth began to change, showing it in the future as the landmasses dry out and turn from green to a sandy yellow, and then the oceans dry up.

"Friends, the stakes couldn't be higher, the situation no more dire," his voice continued.

Rodney and Jennifer turned to each other and rolled their eyes at the ludicrous poetry and Jennifer was trying hard not to laugh. Rodney squeezed her hand tighter and pulled their joined hands onto his lap so he could enclose her hand in both of his.

"It's time to act," the voice said as the image of Earth faded and the word TUNNEY appeared on the screen. Tunney walked onto the stage wearing a headpiece microphone. "Hello. I'm Malcolm Tunney."

The audience applauded, forcing Rodney and Jennifer to let go of each other's hands.

"If he's so worried about global warming, why'd he fly us here in a private jet? It spews out more CO2 than Sweden," Rodney said.

"I know, but not so loud," she said, laughing and clapping.

After everyone stopped, Rodney reached out and took Jennifer's hand in his again. He didn't want to pass up any opportunity to touch her.

"Thank you very much. You're very kind. As many of you know, I am not an environmental scientist, nor do I pretend to be one. For instance, I shower regularly," Tunney chuckled and looked at a scruffily dressed man with a long straggly beard sitting in the front row. "No offence, Larry!"

Jennifer furrowed her brows as she looked at the man who made her first date with Rodney possible. The arrogance he exuded was nothing like the confidence in her date. Rodney radiated such a powerful sense of his ability to do anything he put his mind to that it was contagious. _At least to me._ Tunney had an air of superiority that turned her off immediately.

"I'm just a concerned citizen – one who realizes that the Earth has carried us for so long," Tunney continued as, behind him on the screen, the image of Earth reappeared, then shrunk. Tunney lifted his hand with his palm upwards and held it under the image as if he were supporting the planet. "Maybe it's time that we carried her."

"The ratio would be accurate if his body was the size of his ego," Rodney said. He began to absently rub his thumb across Jennifer's hand. The skin was so soft and he had no idea why he'd ever be so averse to holding hands. _Because they weren't Jennifer's._

"Yeah. It's a little much," Jennifer managed as the feeling of his slightly calloused thumb rubbing the back of her hand distracted her more than she'd ever been before. She found herself leaning into his shoulder and resting her free hand on his arm.

"Mmm," Rodney mumbled, enjoying the fact that Jennifer was leaning ever so slightly against him. _I'll just rip his research apart, thank him for the plane ride and get Jennifer back to the Broadmoor as soon as possible._ He had no idea how, but he'd find a way to convince her to go out with him before they went back to Atlantis.

"Solving a problem like global warming may seem impossibly complex. So many nations, so many corporations and John Q Public will have to agree on a dizzying number of issues. So, then, what can one person really do to make a difference?" Tunney asked as a photograph of himself appeared on the screen behind him. "What can I, with my particular and unique skills set, do to help?"

Jennifer looked at Rodney. "And they think you're the arrogant one?"

"Hhhmm," Rodney replied, still waiting impatiently for their host to get to the point. _Global warming research? What the hell is he up to with that?_

"I've been working on a number of projects over the last decade and I realized that if I were to combine them, I just may be able to achieve something unexpected. So, ladies and gentlemen, with major funding from my friends at Kramer Innovations, I have been able to devise a means to cool our planet in a safe and controlled way," Tunney continued, causing the audience to start to murmur.

"This guy wouldn't know cool…" Jennifer started only to trail off as Rodney, frowning and intrigued, leaned forward in his seat still holding her hand, forcing her to sit forward as well.

"Now, the science behind this is immensely complex, but there will be detailed briefs handed out to you as you leave the lecture hall, but for right now, let me just give you the Cliff Notes." An image of the device he had invented came up on the screen behind him as he continued. "It begins with a massive heat sink – one of my own design – which steadily draws heat from the surrounding environment."

"But where does the heat go?" The geniuses asked at the same time and smiled at one another.

"_Where does the heat go?_ you may ask. Well, my friends, that is the hard part," he said.

A new image appeared on the screen. On the left were the words _Our Space/Time_ and the heat from Earth could be seen channeling along a tunnel to the other side, labeled _Alternate Space/Time_.

"I give you the Tunney Space/Time Matter Bridge," Malcolm said.

Rodney stared as he recognized the design concept. "Wait. What?"

Jennifer pulled her hand back because Rodney suddenly let go and looked agitated. She looked back at the screen and vaguely remembered a drawing similar to this one.

"Now this isn't just some theoretical math proof. This is a functioning piece of technology, one that literally moves heat from our space/time and vents it out into another space/time."

"Yeah, but, that's my bridge! My sister and I came up with it," Rodney said rather loudly as he moved forward in his seat like he was going to leap up.

"Are you absolutely certain?" Jennifer asked as she grabbed his arm with her hands and pulled him back into the seat. _If Tunney got a hold of SGC research somehow there was going to be hell to pay._

"And it works. We've been testing the system for a few months now and it has proved to be remarkably stable," Tunney said.

"It's my idea," Rodney said indignantly.

"Rodney, now's not the time. You can corner him later." Jennifer didn't want Rodney to disrupt the talk and to be removed by security.

"For the purposes of the demonstration today, I've surrounded this facility with an electrified plasma grid that will contain the reach of the heat sink. It will draw heat only from this facility," Tunney continued.

"Wait… he's gonna turn it on with us here? I mean, that's, this-this is a bad idea," Rodney said to Jennifer and the others around them. Fear suddenly flashed through him, but it wasn't a fear for his own safety that was forcing him to act.

"Rodney, please. Calm down. We can talk to him after." Jennifer tightened her grip on his arm as he moved forward again.

"And to prove the effectiveness of the system, I will lower the temperature within this facility by ten degrees," Tunney declared. Behind him, the screen showed the temperature dropping from 74 degrees to 64 degrees. "Oh, and don't worry – I've turned off the air conditioning, so there'll be no cheating, I promise."

Rodney turned to Jennifer and placed his free hand over hers. "I'm sorry. I can't let him do this." _No way am I letting this hack endanger Jennifer._

Rodney got to his feet as Jennifer tried to grab his arm in a desperate attempt to stop him. "Oh, no, Rodney…"

"'Scuse me, Malcolm," Rodney called out.

"Doctor McKay, thank you for coming," Malcolm said with no _welcome_ in his voice.

"This is a bad idea," Rodney started.

"Well, we're not quite ready for the Q and A session yet, so if you could just wait 'til then..." Tunney responded.

"Let's just take a look at the data you've come up with and talk about this, because turning the device on with all these people here could be very dangerous," Rodney said. _Stay calm. Reason with him and then roast him for stealing your work and endangering people._

"Respectfully, I disagree."

"Okay, you can't do something like this without our consent," Rodney replied.

"Sit down," someone shouted.

Jennifer was so angry she could hit someone. This little jerk stole SGC research somehow and was using it to make money. She knew General O'Neill and the IOA were going to have a field day trying to find out how Rodney and Jeannie's work got out into the public, but they couldn't help them right now. _Rodney needs to sit down before we get thrown out._

"You did sign the document when you entered, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah. I thought that was just…" Rodney realized this was not going well.

"Then I have your consent," Tunney smirked.

"Yeah, but... Look, I've been doing work that is very, very similar to this..." Rodney began only to have a couple groans from around them interrupt his thoughts a moment.

Jennifer felt tears burn in her eyes.

"Really?" Malcolm asked incredulously. "I don't think that possible."

"Look, these bridges to other space/times can be very unpredictable," Rodney continued. _Gotta stay calm. This can't be happening. I can't let him start that thing up._

"D'you have any research you'd like to put forward right now? A paper, perhaps… anything to back up your claim?" Tunney asked. "Rodney, please tell me this isn't just petty jealousy?"

Jennifer's heart bled for Rodney. There was no way he could say anything_._ Swallowing hard and forcing herself not to cry for the man she loved, Jennifer scooted forward in her seat to grab Rodney's arm and pull him back down. "It's okay, Rodney. You know it'll get straightened out once we get back to work." She saw defeat in Rodney's eyes and it truly saddened her. Glancing at the stage, she couldn't hold back the angry glare she shot at Malcolm Tunney. _You little bastard, I'll be right by O'Neill's side when he tears you a new one and has you hauled off to jail._

"Well, no, no, I-I..." Rodney muttered in defeat. His eyes couldn't meet hers.

Rodney might have looked defeated and left with no words, but his genius mind was racing through all the terrible things that could go wrong with the bridge. When he looked into the watery eyes of the woman he loved, his resolve solidified once again. "Jennifer, this is not about my pride. If he starts this thing, we're all in danger." The knowledge that he put her in this situation and was powerless to prevent it left him truly terrified.

"Don't worry, everyone. This is completely safe. And..." Tunney droned on as he had an assistant start the bridge. "We're up and running, and I'll be happy to answer all your questions once you've had a chance to read the brief, but for now, why don't we all go back out to the lobby where hot cocoa is waiting! 'Cause it's about to get very cold in here. Thank you."

Rodney and Jennifer looked at each other as unspoken thoughts passed between them.

_I'm so sorry._

_You have nothing to be sorry for._

_I love you and will always be there for you. _

Neither could express their final thought to the other yet.

Rodney grasped her cold hands in his as she smiled reassuringly. "Come on. Let's go get some hot chocolate."

The physicist nodded and rose, holding hands with the most important person in his life. He let out the breath he'd been holding and mapped out his course of action. _Get Jennifer to safety, somehow, and then kill that little prick. No, better yet, have Landry recall Master Gunny Richards._

**TBC**

**

* * *

A/N: Rewriting the episode is hard because you want to find a good spot to break but I don't want it to be too long.**


	7. The Truth Revealed

**MGM owns all characters. Some dialogue from GateWorld.**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and to Betherdy Babe. Yes, this story has a hold on my muse right now.  
**

* * *

As they left the auditorium Rodney practically ripped a copy of the brief from the hands of one of the ushers and walked quickly to a far corner of the reception area near a staircase. Jennifer's hand was firmly clutched in his other one so she moved quickly along beside him. Just her presence kept him from seeking out Tunney to punch him.

They stopped near a life-size cardboard cutout of Tunney smiling and holding the Earth with a thermometer in the middle, which dropped from 74 degrees to 73 degrees. Rodney opened the brief and stared in disbelief. "Well, this is... this is... How'd he even get a hold of my work?" he gasped as the calculations he flipped through looked extremely familiar.

"I don't know but I'm sure we'll find out at the SGC," Jennifer said, catching her breath from the near jog to this secluded location. She couldn't help but notice several stares of annoyance or disgust directed at the man she loved. It took years of being forced to act mature beyond her years to keep her from sticking her tongue out or doing anything even more juvenile.

"You really believe me?" Rodney realized Jennifer didn't question him. She seemed to believe him unconditionally. He felt a fleeting second of joy as once again this amazing woman made him love her even more.

"Of course I do. I read the file and talked with Jeannie about it," Jennifer said, reaching out to stroke his arm. "They won't get away with this. Once we get back…"

"I know. There's just no way he came up with this on his own. We've gotta... we've gotta..." Rodney trailed off as he looked around and noticed a roped-off area behind him leading to a corridor. "We've... Come on."

He ran to the ropes and hopped over them, dumping the brief into a nearby trashcan as he went. Looking around nervously to ensure that nobody was watching, Jennifer followed him down a long corridor. The physicist walked past a door, stopped, moved back and went in.

Jennifer hurried to the door that said MALCOLM TUNNEY, PhD and followed Rodney in. Rodney was on Tunney's computer, which has a picture of the man himself seated next to the monitor.

Jennifer stood nervously at the door, waiting for security to come. The last time she felt so much fear was on the Daedalus when Todd commandeered the ship. "We shouldn't be in here."

"Shh! Just stand guard there," Rodney said as he attempted to get into the computer.

"Why?"

"It'll take me a couple of seconds to hack into his computer."

"What are you doing? You know that…" Jennifer heard voices and stepped into the room. When the voices faded she looked at Rodney.

"If that son of a bitch thinks he can humiliate me in front of my peers and get away with it, he's got another thing coming. I'm gonna destroy him." Rodney was into the files on Tunney's computer, so he allowed himself an opportunity to vent some of the anger he felt.

"Now is not the time for this, Rodney," Jennifer scolded. "I know stealing someone's research is the lowest thing one scientist can do to another. It's even happened to me, but you need to stop."

"There's gotta be something in here I can use to discredit the pretentious tool," Rodney continued ranting, not hearing Jennifer at all.

"Hurry up, hurry up. Somebody's coming," Jennifer yelled, finally getting the physicist's attention. "Come on, come on, come on!" She beckoned him away from the desk and they hurried out of the room.

"This way," Jennifer said, tugging Rodney into a darkened alcove in the hopes that the security guards wouldn't see them.

"Jennifer, this is…" Rodney stopped because Jennifer suddenly threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close. Extremely close.

"Kiss me," she said as he felt her lips touching his cheek near his ear.

"What?" Rodney grabbed her waist to push her back. His body wanted to hold her close while his mind was afraid his date suddenly lost hers.

"Rodney…"

"Hey, what are you two doing back here?" an angry voice shouted.

Jennifer sighed heavily and rested her head briefly on Rodney's shoulders.

The memory of an extremely embarrassed nurse Marie Cho and an Air Force Captain named Joseph Kidd making out in a linen closet came to mind. Trying to emulate her friend, Jennifer began giggling and looked coyly at the guard that stood behind Rodney. "Oops. Just wanted to spend some _alone_ time," she said as she reluctantly removed her arms from Rodney's shoulders.

"Get back to the reception hall, please," the gruff guard said, motioning toward the main hall.

"Of course," she said, trying to smile. Inside she was quite upset that Rodney didn't seem to want to kiss her when she gave him the chance.

"Jennifer, what was that…" the physicist started once they were out of ear shot of the guard.

"There was no reason for us to be alone in a darkened corridor. I thought if the guards expected we just snuck off for… You know?" Jennifer interrupted and glared up at Rodney who looked very confused.

Rodney looked at the beautiful angry face in front of him. "So you figured making out in the corner was a good cover?"

"Better than saying you were trying to hack into their server to protect your reputation," she snapped.

"Jennifer, I was looking for proof he stole the work," Rodney said as they stopped near the stairwell they started from.

"Is that what you were going to tell security?" she asked with hostility in her voice. Crossing her arms to stay warm and out of her own private humiliation, Jennifer looked back out over the crowd. _Why didn't Rodney kiss me? _Tears of rejection began to well up in her eyes so she turned her back on her _date_.

"No, of course not," Rodney said as his breathing returned to normal. He lost all thought and could barely walk after feeling her pressed against the length of him. The shock of finding her in his arms momentarily kept him from taking what he'd wanted for so long. "Jennifer," the physicist said as he reached out to touch her shoulder and turn her back to face him.

"What?" she hissed as she looked back at him, unable to hide the pain on her face.

"Are you okay?" Rodney asked. "Listen, I'm sorry I dragged you back there but he can't…"

"Rodney, I thought this was about him endangering people and not your reputation?" Jennifer asked.

"It is," Rodney replied. "If you or anyone else gets hurt because of this bastard, I'll have him hung out to dry."

Jennifer closed her eyes. _He just said it, you or anyone else. You're no different than the others here. At least he cares about other people now. Before it would have only been about his reputation. _

"Hey," Rodney's voice came from close to her shoulder and his hand touched her bare arm, snapping her eyes open.

"What?" Jennifer asked, pulling away from him.

"Were you really going to let me kiss you?" he asked quietly, glancing at the floor and then back into her eyes.

"It doesn't matter because you obviously have no interest in kissing me." _Might as well admit it and move on. You'll always love him so start dealing with being just friends._

"No interest?" Rodney said incredulously. "I've fantasized about you every night since I met you. I…" Rodney's face turned white. "Oh God, please tell me I didn't just say that?"

Jennifer's eyes widened and she suddenly couldn't breath. The cold that she felt as the temperature continued to lower in the facility was gone. A warmth she'd never felt before crept from her heart throughout the rest of her body causing a pink flush to cover her exposed skin. _Rodney's been fantasizing about me._

"McKay," the voice of Bill Nye interrupted their conversation at the worst possible moment. "That was out of line, man!"

Regaining some composure as a he looked from the totally embarrassed woman in front of him to the annoying Bill Nye, Rodney barked, "He stole the work!"

"Hey, come on. It was in the middle of his presentation," Bill said.

"He was about to start the thing up. It couldn't wait," Rodney countered, furious at the interruption to his conversation with Jennifer. _If Tunney is going to be the death of us, I have to know if Jennifer really wanted me to kiss her._

"He brought you here as an olive branch. He wanted to bury the hatchet," Bill said.

"Yeah, in my back," Rodney snarked. Looking back at his date he noticed she stood almost exactly in the same spot with the same perplexed expression on her face. The coffee-colored eyes he loved stared at him as if no one else existed.

"Doctor McKay, Doctor Keller," the annoying receptionist said.

"What!" Rodney shouted as yet another person kept him from talking to Jennifer about the biggest slip-up he ever made.

"Mister Tunney would like a word," he replied.

"Ah-ha! Well, I'm guessing that that word is I apologize," Rodney said to Bill as he walked away followed by Jennifer.

"That's two words, genius," Bill called after them.

* * *

Rodney and Jennifer followed the receptionist into a small conference room. They said nothing to each other during the walk and as soon as the receptionist left, Jennifer leaned close to Rodney and asked, "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" He tried to sound casual.

"What you said?" Jennifer held her breath. The next words Rodney said were going to change her life.

"Uh… I… You know I…" Rodney looked at the beautiful woman next to him and suddenly realized it didn't matter what happened to his pride. He loved her. She was the most important thing in the world to him. If he couldn't be honest with her, nothing else mattered. "Yes. It's true. Since the moment I saw you in the Gateroom."

Jennifer's heart soared. A grin unlike any other spread over her face as she found the courage to say, "I…"

The door opened and Kramer walked in, followed by Tunney. They sat down on the other side of the table.

"Ah. Well, it takes a big man to admit that he's wrong and much as I appreciate it I really would prefer that this whole apology thing took place a little more publicly," Rodney said. His heart was racing after the beautiful smile on Jennifer's face, but it couldn't keep the anger he felt at this jerk for endangering them and stealing classified work. _His classified work._

"Are you kidding?! You are the one who should be apologizing to me," Tunney said.

"What the hell for?" Rodney suddenly tried to remember everything Ronon or Richards taught him in his hand-to-hand fighting classes Sheppard forced him to take. Just one quick jab across the table should break his nose. _Serves no purpose but I know I'll feel better after._

"I invited you here as a courtesy; out of kindness. You know, most people think you've lost your mind… that you've gone Howard Hughes," Malcolm said.

"Just because I don't call any more doesn't mean I'm keeping my urine in jars! Look, I don't need you to..."

"Shut up. I don't have time for this. What have you two done?" Kramer yelled.

"What have we done?" Jennifer's excitement at finding out that Rodney liked her even if it was just for her body was replaced by the anger she had earlier. _This little creep stole classified research and he has the nerve to yell at us._

"We can't shut the device down," Tunney said.

"I told you not to turn it on. I practically begged you. But would you listen? No." Rodney knew he was vindicated but now his fears were being realized. Jennifer and the other couple hundred people here were in danger.

"Tell us what you did and how to undo it and I'll consider not pressing charges," Kramer replied.

"We didn't do anything," Jennifer said, glancing at Rodney. _What are they talking about?_

"Oh, really? Explain this, then." Kramer nodded to the video monitor, which showed Rodney entering a darkened office.

Jennifer shot her date an _I-told-you-so_ look and let out a sigh as the video captured Rodney's rant.

"Now look, I can see how…out of context…that could seem incriminating," Rodney said, avoiding direct contact with Jennifer's eyes. He knew she had been right.

"_Out of context_?" Tunney echoed.

"Just tell him what you were looking for," Jennifer said. Rodney met her eyes for the first time and nodded.

"I was looking for a paper I published a little over two years ago, one that dealt with a matter bridge," Rodney said. _Be humble for Jennifer. The sooner you get this cleaned up, the sooner you'll get her alone._

"Rodney, you have not published a paper in a very long time," Tunney replied smugly.

"You probably didn't even know it was my work," Rodney said.

"Oh, you're publishing under a nom de plume now?" Tunney chuckled.

"Okay, here's how I think it went down: you were working with the government. Someone there trusted you, a lot, and let you see something you weren't supposed to see. Or maybe you were sent something by accident. Who knows? You saw a paper about a matter bridge… a project that was shut down due to the adverse effects of exotic particles. You read it; you realized that if the bridge was used merely as transfer of energy… say, heat… there would be no exotic particle creation and thus no adverse effects. So, you co-opted the science as your own, made a few changes to make yourself feel better and got to work, dismissing the original author's warnings about the inherent instability of time/space bridges. How'm I doing so far?" Rodney said, glaring at Tunney.

Jennifer looked at Rodney's old graduate school peer and saw a man who was caught in a lie. Anger at the affront to the man she adored coursed through her. A desire to punch Tunney came over the normally peaceful doctor. _What did Gunny say; a quick jab to the nose might break it?_

"That's preposterous. Doctor Tunney's been working on this for years," Kramer spat.

Ignoring the outburst Rodney looked at Tunney with a hurt expression on his face. "That was my work, Malcolm. I wrote that paper."

Jennifer almost launched herself at Doctor Tunney for causing the confident man she loved so much pain. The tone of Rodney's voice spoke of the ultimate betrayal having been committed against him.

Tunney looked at Rodney for a long moment and without looking away from Rodney, he spoke to the man at his side. "Terence, these people may be able to help us."

TBC

**

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A/N: Sorry for all the near-fluff in here. Just came to me earlier today. I didn't change a lot of dialogue because the confrontation scene in the conference room is one of my favorite McKay rants of the entire series. **


	8. Freeze Lightning

**MGM owns all characters. Some dialogue from GateWorld**

**A/N: Thanks to Betherdy Babe for the beta and all the reviewers who keep me publishing this. **

* * *

Rodney waited for Jennifer to get out of her chair and placed a hand on her lower back as they walked to the door. "Time to save the day again. I'm sorry this is happening on our first date," he said, leaning close to her ear as they walked out of the room to follow Tunney and Kramer to the control room.

"I jinxed us by thinking there would be no disasters to deal with here," she confessed as she walked closer to Rodney. "I figured the worst that would happen would be my nylons would run or I'd trip over something and embarrass you."

"You could never embarrass me, Jennifer," Rodney said. They were following Tunney and Kramer up a staircase and staying a bit behind so their conversation could not be heard. "I, on the other hand, thought of dozens of disasters for the evening, but I must say this was not one of them."

Jennifer smiled and laughed, sliding her arm around his waist. "This isn't a disaster. I have absolute faith in you that you'll shut this down in no time and we can jet back in time for a late dinner."

The grin on Jennifer's face added to Rodney's already heady sense of being on top of the world. He was right that Tunney stole his work and now was going to clean up the little creep's mess with the beautiful woman of his dreams waiting for him with a smile. _But waiting for what? We never did get to finish that conversation. _"Uh, Jennifer," Rodney started.

"Yes, Rodney?" Jennifer replied as they turned down a corridor at the top of the stairs.

"I'm really glad you're here," he said, once again deciding to spill his guts.

"There's no place I'd rather be than by your side," Jennifer replied, quickly looking away as their hosts entered the control room. She felt a familiar red flush spread over her upper body and shyly looked back at her date.

"This won't take long," Rodney said, smiling and walking toward a bank of computers. "Okay, Malcolm, show me your mess so I can clean it up."

* * *

As Rodney moved around the room barking questions at Tunney's staff and looking at readouts, Tunney approached the physician. Jennifer crossed her arms and looked at him with barely concealed hostility. Scientists stealing research from each other always made her upset. The fact this jerk stole Rodney's work made her furious.

Having known Rodney McKay for about two years, Jennifer knew the pride and sense of ownership he had in his work. Whether it was repairing a piece of equipment or their botched attempt at saving Doctor Weir, Rodney put his all into _everything_ he did. A warm feeling flashed through Jennifer as she imagined that same attention being focused on her. _He's gotta be an amazing kisser._

"I didn't get to introduce myself, I'm Doctor Malcolm Tunney," Tunney said, drawing her out of her fantasy.

Jennifer looked at the man who stood at her height. "Obviously," she replied without being able to keep the anger from her voice.

"You're Rodney's sister, right?"

"No, I'm not his sister. I'm his girlfriend," Jennifer spat.

"Really?" Tunney's eyes widened as he assessed her with a lingering glance.

"Doctor Tunney," Jennifer said, turning to face him and with arms crossed over her chest. "Do you comprehend the situation you've found yourself in? I realize you're fortunate that Rodney's going to save your failed science project, but you do realize that you've stolen top secret government research and are going to be punished?"

The look on Tunney's face was one of denial.

"Don't expect your sponsors at Kramer Innovations to save you. They'll throw you under the bus and claim they knew nothing, which it really sounds like they didn't," Jennifer said hotly. Clenching her fists and staring into his haughty face, she said, "I suggest you stop trying to look down my dress and help Rodney before he notices."

Tunney turned quickly away from the annoyed physician and walked over to take a seat at the console. Jennifer walked around front next to Kramer. Rodney was still roaming around, looking at readouts.

"This is bad," Rodney said. _What did he do?_ The genius's mind was racing, but it didn't look like this was going to be as easy as he just alluded to Jennifer.

"Sabotage?" Kramer asked.

"Sabotage? Please," Rodney said scornfully.

"Tunney said there was..." Kramer started.

"Well, Tunney's wrong," Rodney stated, walking over to Malcolm's console and looking over his shoulder.

"I may have rushed to judgment," Tunney replied.

"Can you shut it down?" Kramer directed his question to Rodney and apparently forgot about his own genius.

"These matter bridges are the very definition of unpredictable," Rodney explained.

"Yes or no, Doctor?"

"Look, I don't know yet." Rodney was not happy. This bridge was not acting like the one he and Jeannie activated. He turned to Tunney and said. "Have you turned up the heat?"

"Yes," Tunney replied.

"Have you noticed this?" Rodney pointed at the screen.

"Yes," Tunney replied, sounding annoyed.

"What is it?" Jennifer hated being useless in a situation. Nothing troubled the young woman more than not being able to put all the intelligence she had to a good use. Many situations she faced on Atlantis put her in that position and she still didn't know how to handle it.

"The bridge isn't drawing a consistent load from the heat sink. Instead, it's wavering," Rodney explained, looking at her finally. He tried to keep his confident air, but he could feel it waning.

"Why is that bad?" Jennifer asked, hoping to spark a thought like she often did when they discussed problems together.

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily call it bad. It's definitely not good but I don't know that I'd go so far as to call it bad..." Tunney jumped in, obviously not used to being ignored.

"You're kidding me, right?" the physician asked as she glared at him.

"A regular bridge should draw the same amount of energy from the heat sink at all times. This one is fluctuating greatly," Rodney paused with his _I have an idea_ look in his eyes.

Jennifer felt confident again because his initial expression was one of uncertainty. The young woman knew Rodney loved to make problems seem bigger than they really were so when he saved the day it looked grander to others, but she had to say he never did that on projects they worked on together. _I don't think he's doing that here. Something is really messed up with the bridge._

"Maybe we can use that. Wait for it to peak, and overload it and crash…" Rodney started.

"That's a good idea," Tunney said.

"Yeah, I thought you'd like it... what with it being my idea an' all," Rodney snarked, glancing at Jennifer.

Tunney glared at Rodney, caught Jennifer's icy look and quickly got back to work on the console. Jennifer stood over the physicist, looking down at him like she was on guard duty. A chill went through her at the realization that she was exposing a lot of flesh. A sudden onset of goose bumps on her arms made her rub her hands up and down and wish that her overnight bag was not still on the jet. As she left, the pilot said he'd see that it was secured until the return flight. A large MIT sweatshirt and comfortable jeans surrounded the item she purchased from Victoria's Secret. _Looks like I won't be wearing that anytime in the near future._

"Mister Kramer," a hurried security guard said, running into the control room.

"Yes?" he asked, turning to the guard.

"Someone's been injured, sir," the guard said, visibly trembling.

"I'm a physician," Jennifer said, stepping forward. "What's happened?"

"Uh…" the guard seemed suddenly taken aback.

"What happened to them?" she asked with her calm, doctor voice.

"He was hit by lightning, but it didn't burn him. It froze him," the guard said in disbelief.

"What?" several voices asked at the same time.

"Mister Kramer, do you have a medical facility?" Jennifer asked.

"A small one…" he answered.

"Take me to the patient," she said to the guard, motioning for him to lead the way.

* * *

Once in the reception area, Jennifer and several security guards along with Bill Nye surrounded the man and lowered him to the ground with his left hand still raised, frozen in place. Jennifer knelt next to him with the men standing around her. Rodney basked in a moment of pride at how quickly she went into professional doctor mode. Even in her evening attire she assisted with moving the patient and took charge of the rest of the situation, ordering people to get blankets or even to rip the table clothes off the tables.

Standing back with Tunney, his eyes pulled away from the beautiful woman administering to the injured man, who looked frozen. "A sudden dramatic cooling beam… the irregular power from the bridge," he muttered aloud more to help him think than to seriously ask Tunney for assistance finishing his idea.

"Oh, so when the bridge makes a sudden demand on the heat sink..." Malcolm continued.

"The heat sink reacts by drawing power from a single localized place inside the containment field..." Rodney said, glancing at Tunney and following his eyes back to Jennifer.

"And that beam would freeze anything in its path. Oh, I did not see this coming," Tunney said chuckling.

"It's freeze lightning!" Rodney said.

"_Freeze lightning_. Ooh, I like that," Tunney said, finally looking at Rodney.

"Well, you can't have it. It's mine. It-it's copy written," Rodney stammered.

Jennifer stood up and walked over to them. The patient had been carefully wrapped in the blankets and moved onto a backboard that a guard got from their medical facility.

"How's he doing?" Rodney could see concern and anger in Jennifer's eyes as she glared at Tunney. Atlantis' Head of Science and Research was very glad Jennifer wasn't going to be taken in by Malcolm Tunney. Rodney was loath to admit it but several girls he liked in graduate school ended up dating Tunney over him. _Not this time, Malcolm. Jennifer Keller's all mine._

"He's in very bad shape. It's like his whole left side has been flash frozen. We're going to move him to the medical facility, but there's little I can do for him here. We need to get him removed to a hospital," Jennifer said, pleading with Rodney. "I have never seen anything like this before."

Given all they faced in Pegasus, Rodney knew the significance of that statement. He tried to convey his understanding of her sense of helplessness. Rodney knew Jennifer approached her job in a similar fashion to him. She did everything with such precision and care that he often wondered if that was how she approached relationships. It was a major reason he was terrified of asking her out before. _A woman like Jennifer deserved wine and roses, candlelight and long massages that turned into… Whoa, disaster to avert first._

"Oh. Oh, man," Tunney began, shaking his head.

Rodney looked at him sympathetically. "Look, this isn't entirely your fault."

"I really hope he signed his waiver," Tunney said, sliding his eyes over the suddenly heaving chest of the physician in front of him.

"You heartless little…" Jennifer started only to stop herself when she remembered they were in a room full of people. She noticed Rodney's eyebrows shoot up his forehead at her angry outburst. Taking deep breaths and crossing her arms because of Tunney's glance, she asked, "Do you think this is the first time this has happened?"

"Or maybe just the first time anyone's been around to notice it," Tunney guessed.

"What, so this thing could be wreaking havoc all over the facility?" Rodney asked, angry at Tunney for so many things, but his insensitivity for the injured man and general arrogance in the face of this problem _he_ caused were at the top of his list at the moment.

"So this is gonna keep happening?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes, and probably with greater frequency," Tunney replied.

"Okay, this little side effect is going to really hamper our attempts to shut this thing down." Rodney felt fear for Jennifer and the other innocent people. _I swear I am personally going to punch Tunney in the head when this is over._

"And, by _hamper_, you mean _get us all killed_," Jennifer said with fear in her voice. Her complete confidence in Rodney still existed but having lightning that could freeze you appearing at random around the facility frightened her.

"Yeah. Something like that," Rodney's voice was laced with regret. As he looked at his beautiful date, he saw fear in her eyes and noticed she was physically trembling. The desire to punch Tunney _now_ for endangering Jennifer was overwhelming. "Time to find Kramer and get everyone the hell out of here," Rodney barked.

As they followed Tunney, Rodney pulled off his jacket as he moved behind Jennifer. "Put this on," he said.

"Rodney, I'm from Wisconsin, remember?" she replied with a smile.

"I'm not asking, Jennifer," Rodney had a bit of steel in his voice. His reasons for wanting her to wear his coat was two-fold: he saw her tremble and noticed the goose bumps on her arms _and_ he was aware that her dress revealed a lot more flesh than he was comfortable with any man besides himself seeing.

"Getting bossy aren't we, McKay," she said as she fell into step with him after he slid his coat on her. Inhaling deeply, Jennifer smelled _him_ and it calmed her like nothing else. A very girlish part of her always wanted a man to give her his jacket. The feel of his warmth still in the sleeves made her feel intimately closer to him than before.

"I enjoy taking care of my dates," he said as he took her hand in his, after finding it in the excess material hanging past her fingertips.

A brief smile passed over her face. "I still believe you'll save us all, you know."

Rodney felt his confidence soar once again at her confession as she laced her fingers with his. "We might have to continue this date at breakfast though?"

"That was my plan all along," she replied as they arrived back at the control room. Her date's stunned expression was back and it warmed her even more than his jacket.

TBC

* * *

**A/N: I know it's fluffy, so sue me! We all know there won't be much fluff in a little while so enjoy it when you get it :-)**


	9. Humble

**MGM owns all characters. Dialogue from GateWorld.**

**A/N: I am humbled by all the positive feedback. I have to say I figured any changes I made to Brainstorm would be flamed since it is a great McKeller episode. Thanks to all of you for boosting my ego. Thanks to Betherdy for the beta as always.**

* * *

"We need to call in the military," Rodney said to Terence Kramer after security brought him to the control room. It was an order the physicist expected to have followed.

"I prefer not to do that just yet," the CEO of Kramer Innovations replied.

"Too bad. You're lucky that guy out there isn't dead," Jennifer snapped.

"I'm sure these two can get the device back into its proper operating mode," Kramer replied, nodding at Rodney and Tunney.

"It's a little late for that," Rodney barked. "Do you realize the trouble you're in?"

"Terence, things have gotten out of hand. We need to make that call," Tunney said.

"You make that call and the government shuts us down," Kramer said.

"Yeah! That's the idea," Rodney said angrily, mostly because he didn't grab a cell phone from the SGC. His desire to get ready for his date kept him from thinking straight.

"I don't understand. When the device started to malfunction, the first thing you wanted to do was get everyone out of here safely," Malcolm asked.

"To avoid the project being branded as too dangerous to move forward." It was now Kramer who was getting angry.

"Well, the cat's out of the bag now," Jennifer said. _He can't hold us hostage here._

"What, are you worried about all the money you've sunk into this? 'Cause that's gone." Rodney now had a new focus for his anger, the arrogant millionaire who stood in front of him.

"No, I'm not worried about the money. We're close to coming up with a solution for global warming. We could save the planet. It's bigger than me, and it's bigger than you – and if we can get the device under control without calling the military, they're gonna let us continue our research," Kramer shouted.

"I've got news for you: you can't control it and you shouldn't continue with your research," Rodney growled back.

"Well figure it out. I have the utmost faith in both of you," he replied and walked away with a security guard.

"This is ridiculous," Rodney said and turned to Jennifer. "Where's your cell phone?"

"In my bag on the jet," she said angrily. _Why didn't I get a small clutch to stick it in?_

"Tunney, give me your cell." Rodney held out his hand.

"It won't work, not with the containment field up. There's too much interference," Tunney explained.

"You have a land line in your office," Jennifer reminded him.

* * *

They quickly moved down the stairs with Rodney once again grabbing Jennifer's hand. A slight smile crossed her face because it appeared to be some type of reflex. Stand near Jennifer and grab her hand.

"It's dead," Tunney said once they got to his office and he tried the phone.

"Give me that." Rodney ripped the phone from Malcolm's hand not trusting him to know if the phone was working or not.

"It's dead," Rodney said. _Okay, not good. Gotta shut that down while hoping no one else gets hit by that unpredictable freeze lightning. And not look like an idiot in front of Jennifer._

"Kramer must have killed the phones," Jennifer speculated.

"I don't suppose you have access to the communications room?" Rodney already knew the answer but felt he had to ask.

"It's a Kramer facility. I just work here," Malcolm replied.

"Great." Rodney began to think of options for shutting down the heat sink.

"Looks like it's up to you and me." Malcolm was already on the way to the door.

"Well, we'd better get back to the control room. We'll figure this out ourselves and..." Rodney said while walking to the door. Suddenly realizing Jennifer was not by his side as she had been all evening, he stopped.

"W-w-w-wait. Isn't there, like, a room full of geniuses out there?" Jennifer asked.

"That's debatable!" Rodney and Malcolm said simultaneously with the same arrogant voice.

"If that freeze lightning thing happens again, people could die," Jennifer stated.

"They'll slow me down," Rodney said dismissively.

Jennifer was overcome with annoyance at Rodney's level of arrogance at the moment. She knew who some of the people were from television or books she read and found it hard to believe they couldn't help. "Doctor Tunney, give us a minute."

"Excuse me?" Tunney asked.

"She said take a hike," Rodney snapped.

Rolling his eyes and muttering something about _no time for this_, Tunney left the office.

"Rodney, the smartest people on the planet are out there. How can you dismiss them like this? How many times has Radek or John or Colonel Carter or… even I said _something_ that got your genius brain working overtime? You've been on a team for five years. You know a solution can come from anywhere. I mean... Geeze, Stephen Hawking is out there. _Stephen Hawking._ He can't be a total idiot," Jennifer ranted, waving her hands.

"Actually..." Rodney started as he moved closer to Jennifer.

"I don't want to hear what he stole from you. Please, Rodney, see if they can help you first before you pass them over," Jennifer pleaded. "You said you'd try being humble, remember?"

"I wanted to say that Hawking actually knows about the program and if something happens to me, he'd be your best bet to help," Rodney said in a calm voice that was in opposition to the storm of thoughts running through his head. He had a long history of being turned on when women fought with him over his ideas, hence his immediate attraction to Samantha Carter. His love of Jennifer was different from that baser lust he had for most women before she came along. Seeing her so animated and flushed gave him a sudden desire to drag this gorgeous woman, who never backed down from a fight, over to the couch and make love to her. _You need to get a grip, McKay_._ Once you save the day, then you get the girl._

"Oh." Jennifer was taken aback. "Rodney, nothing'll happen to you."

"Of course not, but hypothetically," Rodney replied, still very turned on by his date.

"How'd he feel when he found out his theories about wormholes were totally wrong?" she asked as a tremor passed through her caused by the look on Rodney's face. His blue eyes assessed her like men often did, but the affect was entirely different. The physician felt warm and cherished, not like an object.

"He took it better than Sagan did," Rodney smiled.

Jennifer laughed and walked toward to the door.

"Jennifer, are you laughing in the face of danger now?" Rodney asked.

"I just realized this is one of those moments you tell the grandkids about some day," she said, pausing next to him.

"Grandkids?" Rodney's eyes were wider than they'd been all day.

"Oh, I, uh, I didn't mean _our_ grandkids. I meant grandkids in general. Not like we'd have kids who had kids..." Jennifer's face felt like it was on fire and she quickly moved away from Rodney.

Rodney laughed as Jennifer babbled like he did once with Katie Brown a long time ago. "Why don't you stop while you're ahead?" he said as he slid an arm around her and pulled her close as he steered them to the door.

TBC

**

* * *

A/N: I know, a little short, but had to publish on Hewlett's Birthday! Happy Birthday, Rodney.**


	10. They are all idiots

**MGM owns all characters and some dialogue from GateWorld.**

**A/N: Thanks to Betherdy Babe and all the reviewers. **

* * *

"Unbelievable," Rodney muttered as he glanced at Jennifer and rolled his eyes after Tunney used _his_ freeze lightning description. She smiled a sympathetic smile from her place by his side. They stood on the staircase from the control room to the reception area with Tunney, facing a couple hundred guests who were huddling together for warmth.

"It is the sudden and immediate transfer feed from a localized area and it is potentially very lethal," Tunney explained, ignoring Rodney's frustration.

"Look, we need to figure out how to collapse the matter bridge – stop it from drawing energy from the heat sink, otherwise it's going to get unlivably cold in here," Rodney said.

"Why don't we just turn this containment field off and get out of here?" a female guest offered.

"Well, for one thing, it's tied into the basic function of the matter bridge, so we can't just shut it off," Tunney said.

"Even if we could, it houses so much cool air now that it would create a sudden massive cold front as soon as it drops. I mean, we're talking high-speed winds, tornadoes... an instant mega-storm." Rodney swallowed hard thinking of this single building in the flat dessert being swept away by a tornado. His concern for Jennifer swelled once again and it made him glance at her. To his amazement she continued to smile supportively at him. _What did I do to deserve her? Even with our date going to hell, she still understands. No way can I let her head off to her dad tomorrow. _

"Not to mention the fact that the heat sink would start to draw heat not just from this facility but from the entire planet. We cannot allow that to happen," Tunney continued.

"Why don't we just destroy it, just bash it apart?" Bill Nye offered.

"Because that could create a tear in our space/time," Rodney explained slowly like he was speaking to a child.

"Never mind, then," Bill replied.

"Yeah," McKay sighed. _Idiots._ _They're all idiots, but Jennifer has a point. Sometimes even Zelenka has a good idea._

Freeze lightning shot across the lobby behind the scientists causing Jennifer and the others to jump. Her ingrained medical training, which espoused keeping people calm in dangerous situations, took over and made her speak, "Look, you guys are the best of the best. I'm sure if you work together you'll come up with something." She wasn't able to keep a slight catch out of her voice, however.

Rodney heard the fear in Jennifer's voice as Tunney told everyone they would have some erasable white boards moved into the reception area for brainstorming. The physicist stared intently at her until she met his gaze and he saw fear in the soft brown eyes he loved. Closing the gap that separated them on the landing, he reached out to take her hand and squeeze it.

"You know we'll figure this out," he said in his self-assured voice. If pressed, he'd admit his concern for her was distracting him from focusing all his attention on what he was certain had to be a simple solution.

"I know," she said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I know _you'll_ figure it out, it's just…"

"What?" he asked quietly. Tunney was still holding court to his right and blathering on about the need for cooperation and other nonsense.

"I can't believe this perfect evening…"

"Perfect?" Rodney asked, eyes widening.

"Well it was until this happened." Her smile did reach her eyes this time.

"Save that thought," he said with another squeeze to her hand. "I promise we'll pick this up tomorrow and pretend none of this ever happened."

"Sounds like this might go beyond breakfast," she laughed as his jaw nearly hit the ground.

* * *

About a half an hour later groups of scientists clustered around each white board, writing complicated equations and arguing amongst themselves. At the nearest board to Jennifer, Bill Nye was writing while Rodney and Tunney watched.

"Whoever built this, it's all wrong," Bill said.

"Watch who you're correcting, Science Guy. My PhDs are not honorary!" Rodney snapped.

"Hey, look, I'm an engineer. I can do math. Just-just listen to my idea," Bill argued.

"I have been listening to you, and that is what confirmed to me that you are a moron," Rodney barked.

"If it's any consolation, you're both wrong," Tunney said smugly with his arms crossed like he was looking down at them.

"What, and you're right?" Rodney replied.

Tunney nodded as Bill shouted at him, "We're supposed to listen to you? You're the jerk that got us into this mess."

"I have a workable theory," Rodney shouted even louder than before. All his years of fighting with Kavanagh couldn't prepare him to face the level of arrogance and stupidity that Tunney was throwing around.

"Yeah, a theory," Tunney said dismissively.

"Maybe take into account the fact that I have some experience with this; that I have been doing work that is years ahead of anything that you guys have even been dreaming of," Rodney shouted, unable to keep the indignation out of his voice. _I can help them. Stupid, incompetent morons._

Jennifer had been standing nearby and listening to all of the back-and-forth with growing frustration so she finally called out, "Hey!" A quiet spread through the room. "This is embarrassing. Look at you. The greatest minds this world has to offer and, if I didn't know any better, I'd think there were a bunch of sixth graders in here. You guys need to suck it up and get along." She honestly couldn't remember the last time she lost her temper. _Probably when Carson tried to set me up with that plastic surgeon in graduate school. _

"It's like I've always said. You see, people are more alike than they are different..." Bill started.

"Not now, Nye," Jennifer snapped, trying to reel in her lost temper. "Our lives are at stake here."

Malcolm, Rodney and Bill hung their heads like chastised schoolboys.

"We need a solution, and we need this fast. Please. Come on, the rest of us are counting on you. Rodney has been trying to tell you his idea for a while. Listen to him." Jennifer pleaded, trying hard to remember that they had never seen Rodney save the day. Her anger was still strong because of their dismissal of him so easily.

"I think I'm onto something. I... It just needs some ironing out," Rodney said quietly. _Swallow your pride McKay. The woman you love needs you. See if they can help you out._

"Great, Rodney. You guys should listen to him," Jennifer stated. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach for scolding people far smarter than she was but was happy when she saw the scientists close in around Rodney and the whiteboard to listen to his theory. The CMO watched them for a moment longer, turned and saw Kramer standing nearby.

"They'll figure something out," he said in a defeated voice as he leaned against a table.

"I know _he_ will. He always does." Her faith in Rodney was unwavering.

Kramer nodded and shifted a bit as if uncomfortable with her attention.

"Let's just hope it's before someone dies." She gave him an evil look and then remembered her nana's _be nice_ advice that she tried to live by. Changing tactics, the physician said, "You know, my Uncle George… he always hated the phrase _save the planet_."

"What?" Kramer furrowed his brow.

"Well, he just thought it was a little backwards, you know, 'cause the planet's gonna be here no matter what happens. It might be a giant unlivable rock like in Tunney's presentation but it's gonna survive."

"So you're turning this into a discussion on semantics?" Kramer barked.

"What I mean is, Mister Kramer, the work you're doing isn't about saving the planet – it's about saving lives, and that's a noble pursuit, trying to save billions of people. But it's no less noble to save a hundred. These guys, no matter how smart they are, they could use some help. One phone call could get that help here. Now, please, please let me make that call." Jennifer hoped she sounded persuasive and not desperate. The need to help Rodney even if it was just to call in Carter and Lee to help shut this down was driving her to be more confrontational than she'd been before.

"You can use the phone in my office," Kramer offered as he stood up straighter.

"So you only turned off Tunney's phone?" Jennifer asked.

"What?" Kramer's eyes widened as he took off in a hurried pace.

Jennifer rushed through the complex after their host and ended up outside the communications room, which had a large splat of ice on the wall partly covering the door.

"Let me guess, this room controls all the phones in the facility," Jennifer said.

Kramer nodded and forced the door open. Once inside they saw a similar splat covering the control panel, which was still sparking out.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Kramer said.

"We're completely cut off, aren't we?" she stated the obvious like the man she loved often did.

"Yes," Kramer replied, unable to meet her fearful gaze.

TBC

**

* * *

A/N: I hate these filler chapters but they are necessary. Everyone knows what's coming next and I can't wait to get to that part. **


	11. Rodney's Plan

**MGM owns all characters and dialogue from GateWorld.**

**Thanks for partial beta by Betherdy Babe, any mistakes are mine. Thanks for all the reviews and the interest.  
**

* * *

Jennifer and Kramer rushed back to the control room where the wall monitor showed that the temperature dropped to 36 degrees. Rodney, Tunney, Bill Nye and several scientists and technicians were looking at consoles and taking readings.

"The communications room has been destroyed," Jennifer said as Rodney walked over to her. A look of panic flashed over his face for an instant, causing Jennifer's own heart to stop. _Calm down. Rodney always looks panicked and then saves the day. It'll be okay._

"Well, that's terrible news," Rodney said, reaching out to touch Jennifer's arm. He had grown concerned when he couldn't find her in the crowd. Unfortunately, he needed to get to the control room and he couldn't look for her.

"It's my fault. I should have..." Kramer started.

"Yes, you should have." Rodney was furious. They had no way to contact the outside and the likelihood of shutting this down without more freeze lightning being generated was slim. The constant fear for Jennifer continued to weigh on him and he looked at his beautiful date to get control over his raging temper. Her beauty continued to act as a balm for whatever might ail him, including his infamous temper.

"You need to see this," Tunney called out.

Rodney walked over to Tunney and looked at the screen. _Gotta focus, McKay. Jennifer's with you again, so calm down._ "Oh, the cold temperatures are affecting the containment field emitters. I mean, they're weak – they're on the verge of failing."

"That's great. We could get out and make a call to the military?" Jennifer said.

"We're surrounded by desert air. I mean the temperatures inside the containment field have gotten very, very cold. Introducing a sudden and immediate blast of icy air is gonna create one hell of a vortex. I mean there's no way choppers could make it through, let alone actually get people out of here safely," Rodney said.

"We can ride out the storm," Kramer stated.

"No. If we can't shut down the device, the heat sink's gonna keep feeding cold air into that weather system. It'll... it'll never stop," Tunney added.

"I'd rather that didn't happen," Kramer replied.

"No-no-no-no, this might be a good thing," Rodney said with his _I've-got-an-idea_ look.

"What? What is it?" Jennifer asked hopefully.

"Well, the containment field is dying a slow but consistent death. It might be weak enough to actually punch a cell phone signal through now," Rodney said.

"Oh, you know, you might be right," Tunney said, rushing over to grab a small tablet and show a schematic to Rodney. "Okay, this is probably our best bet. These two emitters are the weakest. It's a bit of a run from here, so I'd better get going right now."

"Wait, wait, w-w-wait. Give me your cell," Jennifer stepped in front of the physicist and held out her hand impatiently for his phone. _Finally, something useful I can do._

"Huh?"

"We need you here to help Rodney dismantle the bridge. I'll make the call," she said, glaring at their host.

"I..." Tunney obviously wanted to be away from McKay and his own failed experiment.

"Come on," Jennifer said. "We don't have much time."

"All right, all right, fine," Tunney reluctantly agreed, handing his phone over to the physician.

"Thanks," Jennifer replied, taking the computer tablet from him, walking over to a table containing walkie talkies and taking one. "I'm gonna radio once I get through."

Rodney watched Jennifer's actions with a mixture of feelings: pride in her take-charge attitude, concern that she was going off on her own and a deep feeling of love unlike anything he felt before. He knew Jennifer made the perfect choice to go because she could call Landry, but he couldn't help feeling that she should stay with him. Unable to think of a reason for her to remain other than the fact that he wanted to be rid of the pain in the ass that got them into this mess, he said weakly, "Good luck." _I love you _Rodney tried to tell Jennifer by an intense look in his blue eyes.

"You too." Jennifer sensed Rodney's concern and offered a smile. _I love you, _she thought as she left.

"She seems like a very capable woman," Tunney said.

"She sure is," Rodney replied as pride swelled in his chest.

"She's not really your girlfriend is she?" Tunney asked.

"All right," Rodney barked as he thought about punching Tunney one last time before turning to the consoles. "Where were we?"

"Your idea of overwhelming the bridge to the point of collapse – it's a good one. It's right on track," Bill Nye said.

"But...?" Rodney waited for Nye to finish.

"Everybody here thinks that it means we've gotta dial up the heat sink. It's gonna get even colder," the engineer said.

"And that could result in an unpredictable amount of freeze lightning..." Tunney added.

"...which could kill us all," Rodney finished.

"Right." Tunney and Nye looked at one another and swallowed hard.

"The facility's furnace just went down," Kramer said after a guard appeared.

"What? Well, how did _that_ happen?" Rodney barked.

"We've been running at a hundred and twenty percent for the last hour to compensate for falling temperatures. We're in the middle of a desert – the facility's not meant to be heated like this," Kramer replied.

"Well, we're gonna get below freezing pretty darned quick now," Rodney said, realizing that his jacket couldn't keep Jennifer warm. Letting out an annoyed growl at the entire situation, he turned back to Tunney and Nye. _We need to stop this now._

"All right. Well, we can't power down because it generates its own power..." Tunney said.

"And we can't wait for the containment field to collapse because the storm'll probably kill us," Bill stated.

"All right, guys, we don't have a choice, okay? We've gotta wait for the bridge to peak, dial up the heat sink, see if we can overwhelm it. I know it's dangerous but that's all we've got," Rodney said. _And pray the freeze lightning doesn't kill anyone. Be safe Jennifer, please be safe._

Nye and Tunney looked at him unhappily but had no other suggestions so Rodney called out to the room, "Okay, look, there's too many people in here. I have important work to do. I do not need you in the way, so everybody, out."

* * *

Jennifer followed the map on the tablet down a few turns in the corridor, checking Tunney's Blackberry constantly to see if she could get a signal yet. "Oh, come on."

As she walked slowly up and down the corridor, waving the phone in front of her, Jennifer's persistence paid off when the phone finally showed that it was getting reception. "Oh, thank God," Jennifer said, dialing the SGC emergency number.

"General Landry's office," the voice of Walter Harriman never sounded sweeter to Jennifer.

"Yes, this is Doctor Jennifer Keller. I need to speak to the General immediately. It's an emergency," she said, trying to keep the chattering out of her voice. It suddenly felt much colder than a few minutes ago.

"Hello?" Walter said. "Hello?"

"Hello? Walter, this is Doctor K..." The line went dead. "No, Walter, don't hang up." Jennifer looked at the phone and saw the signal was gone again. Swearing, she resumed her pacing. "Son of a bitch. I had a signal before – come on!"_ I can't let him down._

* * *

Rodney was seated at the control console ready to put his idea into action. There had been some debate with Tunney, who was concerned about it not working, so Rodney finally pushed him aside to do it himself.

"Should we warn everyone we're about to do this?" Bill Nye asked.

"No, no, that would just cause a panic," Tunney said.

"It's probably better they don't know. I mean, we have no way of moving people to a safe area, plus we have no idea where the next freeze lighting strike could hit," Rodney said. An image of Jennifer in the bowels of the building trying to get a cell signal popped into his mind. Brushing the fear that accompanied the picture of her alone, looking like a child in his large jacket from his mind, he typed in the code to ramp up the heat sink.

"_Freeze lightning_. You know, that's a bad name," Nye added as he pondered Rodney's phrase.

"Well, don't look at _me," _Rodney replied, jerking his head towards Tunney. "It's _his_ idea."

"What? Hey, wh...? I..." Tunney started.

"Okay, here we go," Rodney said, speaking over Tunney and glaring at him.

As soon as Rodney initiated his protocol, a burst of freeze lightning zapped across the control room causing the men to duck.

"All right, shut it off!" Tunney screamed, fear etched on his face.

"I can't – it hasn't collapsed the bridge yet," Rodney shouted back as another burst of lightning flew over their heads.

"It's not working," Tunney cried.

"We just need a little more time. Just a little more time." Rodney's eyes rapidly flew over the screens noting that the power on the bridge began to fluctuate. _It's working._

"The lightning strikes are freezing up whole sections of the facility. Everyone is getting isolated," Tunney screamed.

"Look, it doesn't matter. They'll melt eventually. We can shut this thing down," Rodney said.

"You are gonna kill us all!" Nye echoed.

"Okay, look, I just need to keep doing what I'm..." Rodney's voice dropped as he saw the readout on the primary thermal output monitor drop. He turned to Tunney who just stood up from typing on another console. "What did you do?"

"I turned it down," Tunney replied.

"What? _Why?" _Rodney shouted_._

"It was too dangerous," Tunney said.

"Yeah, but we were almost there. It was peaking out. It was gonna work." Rodney could barely control his anger. _I should have made him make that call after all._

"Yeah, and we would all be dead. Look, we just have to come up with something else."

"Yeah, something _fast_ 'cause the containment field's about to fail," Rodney stated as he turned away in disgust.

* * *

Jennifer was still pacing when a blast of freeze lighting shot through the door behind her and along the corridor, brushing a water pipe on its way. Water sprayed out all over the physician, causing her to scream and cover her head. A cold unlike any the Wisconsin native felt before caused her to begin to shiver violently. Looking at the cell phone, she saw that it was completely dead. "Oh no."

* * *

TBC

**A/N: I know there is someone reading who never saw Brainstorm, so blame that person for these cliffhangers. **


	12. Rodney IS Smarter

**MGM owns all characters and dialogue from GateWorld.**

**A/N: ****Thanks for all the reviews. Koinekid gave me a glowing endorsement in the latest chapter of **_**Valentine's Day in the Bay**_**. I will tell you KK's one of my favorite authors; check out the story and others if you want some outstanding McKeller reads.**

**Thanks Betherdy Babe for the beta.**

* * *

Jennifer reached into the jacket and pulled out the walkie-talkie, activating it. _Rodney's going to kill me._ "Rodney, can you hear me?"

Rodney, exasperated at Tunney for shutting down his attempt to shut off the bridge, grabbed a walkie-talkie and spoke to her, "Please tell me you got through to the S.G.C."

"No," Jennifer replied meekly.

"Well, you've gotta keep trying."

"I'd love to but my phone got a little soaked. It's not even turning on," Jennifer replied.

"What?" Rodney asked. "How'd the phone get wet?"

"My hallway got hit by that freeze lightning thing," Jennifer replied as a violent shudder wracked her body.

"Are you okay?" Rodney cried. Fear coursed through him as the image of Jennifer alone resurrected itself in his mind. _Please be okay! I'll never forgive myself if she gets hurt_.

"I am now, but I won't be for long," she replied.

"What happened?" _Calm down. Deep breathes. She's talking. She'll be okay. It's just a phone._

"I'm frozen in and the pipe's busted open. M-m-my body temperature's dropping r-really f-fast. I'm soaked," she answered as she began shivering. _Shivering is good. The body's keeping itself warm_, the physician told herself.

"Tunney!" Rodney could be heard screaming over the radio.

"Okay, I'll radio security and we'll get someone out to her right away," Tunney replied.

"Hurry," Rodney snapped at him. Speaking back into the radio, he said, "Look, security's on the way. I need you just to sit tight and try to stay warm, okay? They'll be there soon." Glancing at the wall he saw the monitor read 20 F. If he didn't have to shut down Tunney's experiment, nothing would keep him from going to her.

"I'm s-s-sorry I didn't get t-t-the c-all through." Jennifer couldn't keep her teeth from chattering or feeling like a failure.

"You did your best," Rodney said, trying to make her feel better. He could've used Carter and company to help him, but he'd make due on his own.

"Did you shut that thing down?" Jennifer asked.

"Not yet. We're working on it," Rodney said with obvious disappointment in his voice.

"Hurry," she said softly. _Stay calm. Try to say warm. Rodney said they'll be here soon and he's always right. _Trying to stamp her feet in place to keep the blood flowing, she couldn't help but note that the oppressive cold was slowing her movements already.

"Yeah. Just stay calm and try to stay out of the water." He couldn't shake the sense that he needed to personally save Jennifer. He glanced toward the hallway with a thought of running to her, but…

"McKay," Bill Nye called out.

"Okay, look, I gotta go. Someone's on the way, all right?" Rodney said.

"G-go s-s-save the day," Jennifer said with a smile. The thought that she should remove the jacket, which was now stuck to her and had soaked through to her dress, passed through her mind after the radio fell silent. Because it belonged to Rodney it made her feel closer to him so she stayed her hands. Moving into the furthest corner away from the growing puddle of freezing water, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. The tremors and chattering were getting worse and the symptoms of hypothermia began to float through her mind. "S-s-security's on t-t-the w-way," she said aloud to calm her racing heart.

* * *

Rodney ran over to see what Nye was shouting about. "What is it?"

"Containment failure in three... two ... one..."

The men in the control room looked at the ceiling as if waiting for a tornado to rip it off. When that did not happen, their eyes drifted to some external cameras on the wall and saw swirling sand and dust.

"Winds aloft reaching dangerous levels," Nye said as his eyes turned to the weather monitoring station in the control room.

"If it continues like this, we're gonna have a mess of tornadoes on our hands," Tunney added.

"Great – even _less_ time before we die," Rodney snarked as his mind raced. _What am I missing? _Thoughts of Jennifer made its way into his mind and her words from earlier echoed through his brain. _What I wouldn't give to have Radek here?_

"Look, this device is capable of generating its own power, right?" Rodney began to talk out loud and hoped these idiots would say something intelligent.

"Yeah. A small percentage of the energy that we're transferring is siphoned off to power the device; once it's running it's self-sustaining," Tunney explained.

"Which is why we can't just pull the plug," Rodney said.

"Exactly," Tunney agreed.

"But it's only capable of powering itself to a certain extent, right? I mean it has a finite amount of power diversion capability." Rodney's mind raced down a new path and his face lit up.

"Well, yes, of course." Tunney rolled his eyes, glancing at Bill Nye.

"Maybe we've been approaching this the wrong way. We've been trying to force so much power through the bridge that it overloads it. I mean, maybe we should be trying to _starve_ it – I mean, suck so much power from its generator that it stalls it out," Rodney said.

"Well, technically we could do that, but you'd have to draw an insane amount of power. The heat sink could never do that." Tunney's doubt was evident on his face.

"No, but another space/time bridge could." _That's it! Finally._

"You wanna open another space/time bridge?" Tunney asked in disbelief.

"The device was rigged to power a single bridge. We open another one..."

"And it overwhelms the system and it fails." Tunney completed his thought.

Rodney ran to the console. "It'll work."

"Yeah, but d'you have any idea how difficult it's gonna be to configure the system to open two concurrent space/time bridges?" Tunney challenged.

"I never said it was gonna be easy," Rodney countered.

"It's gonna be impossible," Tunney cried.

"Hey, I'm Doctor Rodney McKay, all right? Difficult takes a few seconds, impossible a few minutes," Rodney said, spreading his arms wide.

Groans of disbelief from the other scientists in the room met his arrogant boast.

* * *

Jennifer was huddled on the floor in a corner of the corridor. The water was still flowing about halfway across the hall from her location and had reached her feet, which she stopped feeling several minutes ago. At least she thought it was a few minutes ago. _Maybe I've been here hours._ Pulling the walkie-talkie from her pocket, she noticed her hands weren't shaking. _Shivering stopped, that's not good._ "Rodney, can you hear me?"

"Have they got you out of there yet?" Rodney grabbed the radio as his heart skipped a beat. Her voice sounded weak and… _fearful_.

"No," she said. The young woman from Wisconsin always joked that if she had to choose her death it would be hypothermia because you just went to sleep. Now she wasn't so sure. The physician in her knew that the last thing she should do was sit down and close her eyes, but her body was overriding her brain.

"Tunney, what the hell! I thought you sent security?" Rodney screamed.

"They can't get to her," Tunney replied.

"What? Why not?" Rodney walked over, ripping the tablet from Tunney's hands to look at the facility schematics.

"That last round of freeze lightning sealed off one of the corridors. You see, they're making their way to her but it's gonna take some time." Tunney pointed to the map.

Jennifer overheard the conversation. No one was coming. "It's getting hard-harder to stay awake. I'm going into hypothermic shock," she said before her logical thoughts fled. "I love you, Rodney." Her final words came out after she dropped the radio with a splash in the water._ It's not cold anymore, _she thought_. I guess I should have sat down a long time ago. _

"Jennifer, just-just hang in there, all right?" The Canadian knew the dangers of extreme cold as well as any physician, having gotten lost and nearly frozen to death when he was seven. _If she's self-diagnosing, she's still okay. We've still got time._ "We're here, right?" Rodney pointed to the lab on the map.

"Uh-huh."

"So we can get to her. It's a straight shot," Rodney shouted, pointing at Jen's location. "I mean they should have come this way through the lab!"

"They're cut off from us too," Tunney said.

"Okay, I've gotta go get her," Rodney said, looking wildly around the room for a moment. Panic gripped him, but it was a controlled panic. Nothing else mattered except the fact that the woman he loved and cherished needed him.

"No, wait a minute. We're a little bit busy right now," Tunney shouted at Rodney as the genius turned to the door.

"She'll die." Rodney's tolerance of Malcolm Tunney reached its breaking point.

"Yeah, but you know what? If the storm keeps up like this, it's gonna rip the building apart and we'll all die," Tunney's panicky voice responded.

"Last time I checked, you were claiming to be a genius. I already gave you the plan."

"A plan full of holes," Tunney whined.

"So fill them," Rodney snapped. _I gotta go._ Time's of the essence when you're freezing.

"Wha-what if I run into a problem?" Tunney squeaked as his voice rose.

"Work around it!" Rodney clenched the radio tightly to keep from slugging Tunney.

"You're smarter than me," Tunney admitted.

"I know," Rodney said, straightening up. "And because I am, I have to go."

"McKay!" Tunney could be heard screaming as Rodney ran down the corridor.

_Hang on Jennifer. I'm coming. _

* * *

Jennifer jerked awake. It was so dark that she let out a cry. Since she was a little girl, she hated the darkness.

"It's okay, sweetie. I'm here."

"Mom?" Jennifer said as she pulled herself out of her bed. Her legs were shaky and she had no idea where to go because it was too dark.

"I'm here," Anna Keller spoke from a place nearby.

Taking several steps in the darkness, Jennifer slipped and fell onto the floor. "Rodney," she cried as her mother's voice was replaced with the man she loves' final request to _just hang in there_. Tears would not come because her body had already begun to shut down. _I'm so sorry I can't hold on anymore._

* * *

As Rodney raced down the corridor he skidded to a halt after he passed a fire axe in a cabinet on the wall. _I could use that. She said the doors were frozen._ Running back, he opened the case and took out the axe.

The desperate man ran down a short flight of stairs to a frozen door at the end of the corridor and began to hack into it with the axe. After three blows he opened a small hole in the wood and the sight before his eyes when he peered in made his heart stop. Jennifer was lying unconscious in a pool of water.

"Jennifer!" Rodney screamed. It was a visceral scream. A scream like Rodney heard when someone's life was sucked out by a Wraith and that's exactly what was happening to him, a life with Jennifer Keller was being taken away.

His father and the Beavers in Fort McMurray could not teach him how to properly wield an axe, but the physicist chopped with an adrenaline-induced strength that would have made the naysayers of his youth proud. "Hang on, Jennifer."

TBC

* * *

**A/N:We are nearing the end of the episode, but I am continuing this story to the end of the series (Enemy at the Gates). Getting lots of questions about that, so wanted to let you all know it won't be over for some time. **


	13. Revelations

**MGM owns all characters**

**A/N: After this chapter the rest of the story is going AU from the series, so you've been warned. **

**Thanks Betherdy Babe for the beta as always.**

* * *

"_Aye, Rodney, keep ya feet apart and swing with ya back straight, don' wanna ruin your back now."_

_"Gran-da, what are you doing? Meredith's got a recital tomorrow. He'll chop his foot off," James McKay screamed as he grabbed the axe his seven-year-old son was using._

"_Bah! Rodney needs to learn how to take care of himself. Wha' if the boy gets lost in the woods, huh?" Angus McKay barked in his thick Scottish brogue._

"_His name is Meredith."_

_"Just because ya had no spine an' let ya' wife name my favorite great-grandson after a girl…"_

_"Gran-da, enough," James yelled at the older man. "Meredith, inside now. Don't touch an axe again, you hear me?" _

"_Rodney can do whatever he sets his mind to," Angus said, smiling broadly at the young boy as his father pulled him toward the house._

* * *

Rodney had no idea why the memory of his paternal great-grandfather came to mind. Maybe he needed the knowledge from that attempt to teach him how to wield an axe or the elder McKay's unconditional belief that Rodney could do anything he set his mind to. Both reasons gave him the strength he needed to hack the door keeping him from Jennifer to pieces so he wasn't complaining.

Once he noticed an opening big enough for him to hop through, he flung the axe aside and rushed in. The cold air in the water-filled corridor seemed at least ten degrees below that outside Jennifer's prison.

"Jennifer!" he screamed as he ran to her. "Come on." Bending down to pick her up, he barely felt the frigid water on his arms or the front of his shirt as he lifted the lifeless Jennifer Keller in his arms. He was certain he could carry her for miles if he had to, but the corridor outside was dry so he could gently lie her down there. The physicist leaned down to tilt her chin and kiss her lips, something he was powerless to stop himself from doing. Looking closely at her, he noticed she had a bluish-white tint to her skin and he realized her chest was not moving.

"She's not breathing. Oh my God, she's not breathing," Rodney cried, holding his ear close to her face. He gave her a rescue breath as panic and fear coursed through him while he struggled to remember Jennifer's CPR course he was forced to take. The one he paid no attention to and luckily, because Radek was feeling kind, he managed to pass. The reason for his lack of attention was the fact that Jennifer was wearing _that_ blue shirt he loved and her uniform pants fit snuggly over her perfect backside when she was kneeling to show them how to do chest compressions.

The first wave of a panic attack hit Rodney as he began panting while he frantically felt for a pulse at Jennifer's throat. Moving his fingers along her windpipe where he knew her pulse had to be, he found nothing. Tears began to well up and his voice broke as he begged, "Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead."

Rodney started to apply chest compressions, but his eyes were leaking tears and his arms shook so badly he hardly put any pressure on her chest. "Jennifer. Come back to me, please. Please come back to me. I love you!" His throat felt raw and a cold unlike the chill in the facility coursed through his body. "Please. Please," he begged, trying to find some rhythm to his compressions. _How many before the breath? Should my arms be straight or bent? _Cursing himself for not remembering but refusing to stop and find help, he leaned over her and pressed straight down on her sternum.

Jennifer dragged in a breath and coughed so hard she rose up after his thrusting on her chest. Rodney slid his arms around her and helped her to sit up, then wriggled into a sitting position by her side so he could hold her. "Oh, thank God. You're okay. You're okay." Rodney looked at her closely and saw her eyes weren't focused. The blue tint to her lips was still there but her skin wasn't nearly as white. Fear still coursed through him but the fact that she was sitting up in his arms calmed his racing heart.

"I'm really cold." Jennifer heard her voice and thought she'd heard Rodney's but her vision was cloudy. A face was in front of hers but it was too difficult to make it out.

"Me too," Rodney said as he rubbed his hands up and down the wet jacket she had on. _You've gotta get her a change of clothing_. The thought of removing his shirt and putting in on her came to mind.

Jennifer's vision cleared and she saw the concerned face of the man she loved close to her own. Warmth filled her insides as she realized what must have happened. "You saved me." _Rodney came for me._

"Guess that makes us even. I used an axe – a big axe! I mean, I really wish you were conscious, 'cause I think it's the coolest thing I've ever done in my..." Rodney began to babble.

Smiling, Jennifer leaned forward and kissed him to cut him off. She was too weak to do much more than press her lips to his. Her body was numb but his lips pressed against hers made her feel alive. Wishing she were strong enough to kiss him properly, but knowing she was likely to pass out she pulled back. Rodney looked stunned and she could hear his breathing increase as his hold on her tightened. His left hand cupped the back of her head and his right hand slid around her waist.

"Oh, I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you," he said with watery eyes.

"I love you," Jennifer said, unable to keep it in any longer. A gentle smile spread over her face as Rodney's eyes widened and his mouth went slack. "I have for some time now. Just wanted you to know." It took all her strength and willpower to focus on the man before her. Any fear she felt before about telling him the secrets of her heart were gone._ I almost died and he saved me, nothing else is important._

Rodney smiled gently and with a look of adoration on his face said, "I love…"

It's not that Jennifer didn't want to hear that Rodney loved her. There was nothing she wanted to hear more, but the look on his face and the darkness drifting over her vision sent her leaning in for another kiss. The kiss was longer this time and the numbness in her body seemed to weaken as she had more contact with the physicist.

Not wanting to break the kiss but concerned that Jennifer was too weak, Rodney pulled back and pressed his forehead to hers. The feelings flowing through his body made him want to jump up and down, screaming at the top of his lungs: _Jennifer Keller loves me_. "I love you too." Rodney finished what he wanted to say from earlier.

The two geniuses from Atlantis sat for a moment staring into the others eyes. Jennifer was swimming in a deep blue sea and never wanted to leave. Unfortunately she found herself unable to focus and feared that she was falling back into the dark place she'd been. Clutching at Rodney's arm wrapped around her waist, the physician began to tell Rodney things she needed to say just in case. "I'm so sorry. I should have told you before."

Rodney was also lost in her rich brown eyes. He noticed they became unfocused and seemed to be struggling to stay open so he quickly pulled her against his chest. The physicist wrapped his arms around her cold body, hugging her close. "I'm the idiot. I've loved you since I met you."

"Me too," Jennifer replied as her brain began to feel foggy. "Rodney, I don't want to fall asleep."

"What?" Rodney asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He pulled her tighter and rubbed his hands over her wet hair and his cold, wet jacket. "Oh, Jennifer, you're frozen. I need to get you out of these wet clothes. I'm sorry. When you kissed me, I sort of lost my mind." The physicist moved onto his knees, pushing Jennifer away.

"Don't leave," she said and gripped both arms with more strength than she thought her hands possessed.

"I'm just moving so I can pick you up. I won't leave you again," Rodney said and gave her a quick kiss on her lips. "I promise."

"I did it," Tunney's voice echoed down the corridor.

"It's about damned time," Rodney barked as his eyes left Jennifer's for a moment to look up the staircase and then return to the woman he loved. He slid an arm around her shoulders and slid the other under her knees.

"Tunney shut it down?" Jennifer asked incredulously.

"I had more important things to do," Rodney said.

His blue eyes burned with an intensity Jennifer had never seen before. She now knew that she was safe and secure, even in the middle of a disaster, with him by her side. The darkening blue told of an approaching storm, but one of Rodney's own making; he would battle anything and anyone for her. The realization of the depth of his love in that look warmed Jennifer to the core.

**

* * *

A/N: Check out dwparsnip's great **_**A Tag to Brainstorm**_**. I couldn't touch Jennifer's thoughts because he did such a great job. I'm heading into AU territory with next chapter so if you are canon junkies thanks for reading so far.**


	14. Taking Care of Jennifer

**MGM owns all characters except OCs.**

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and kind words about this story. We go AU from here. While I had the idea for what happened after the rescue for a long time, someone else put some of the ideas into a Tag last year, so my conscience requires me to point you to that. It's a Tunney POV called **_**Questions**_** by Avampyre. Check it out. **

**Thanks to dwparsnip for the beta. Sorry this took so long, but you should know I try to be a perfectionist with the story (not claiming perfection w/ the grammar BTW).**

* * *

"What happened to her?" Tunney asked, looking panicked.

"She almost died," Rodney growled as he stood up with Jennifer in his arms.

"I can help you carry her, Doctor," one of the guards said. A second guard, who Rodney recognized as the receptionist, came up behind Tunney and moved toward them.

"I've got her," Rodney said coldly to the men. "Get some blankets and a change of clothes for her. She's soaked. And I need a phone. _And_ somebody get the heat going."

"The furnace is broken, remember," Tunney said.

"Then smash some windows," Rodney barked. "We're in the desert. Hot air is pretty damned plentiful outside. Hey, give me your jacket. People are freezing to death and you're still wearing your coat."

"Why should I give it to you?"

"For Jennifer." Rodney really felt the urge to slug Tunney once again, but needed to get Jennifer warmed up first.

"Doctor Keller's bag is at the front desk," the snarky receptionist said. "Maybe she has…"

"Phone," Jennifer muttered.

"What?" Rodney stopped listening to the guards and Tunney discussing where to find blankets and a phone. He leaned his head closer to hers, resting on his shoulder.

"My phone and some clothes are in it," Jennifer said weakly.

It appeared that she was fading out of consciousness. Fear kicked in because he couldn't remember if you should let someone fall asleep when they were too cold or not. He didn't think so. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he then glared at the Kramer employees. "Get her bag, find me an office and smash out the windows. And, Malcolm, give me your damned jacket so I can wrap it around her legs."

Tunney seemed to respond to the anger in Rodney's voice and ripped off his jacket. Rodney lowered Jennifer to the floor once more.

"N-no," she whispered and grasped his shirt front weakly with her hands.

"I'm not leaving you," he reassured her as he took Tunney's coat and wrapped it around her. When he stood up, he addressed Tunney since the guards had left to carry out his orders. "Where's the closest office?"

Tunney seemed to be slow comprehending. "Um, there's a visitor office near the lab."

"Move," Rodney snapped. His old rival had a strange expression on his face as he looked at the physicist carrying the physician in his arms and for a moment McKay thought he saw jealousy passing over Tunney's face, but only for a moment. The pompous little jerk suddenly seemed to recall that he shut down the bridge and once again began to babble about how he filled in the holes in Rodney's program.

Jennifer heard voices, but only one registered after the guard mentioned her overnight bag. _The pilots must have brought it in._

The feel of his strong arms around her and the thunderous beating of his heart under her hands warmed her far more than Tunney's jacket around her legs. Rodney was holding her in his arms and they were walking somewhere. She was quite content to remain snuggled against him, but knew she must be hurting his back. The number of times he complained of back pain was too numerous to count even when her brain wasn't fuzzy.

As soon as she had that thought, Rodney lowered her onto a couch, kissed her lips quickly and muttered that he'd be right back. The very cold woman leaned back against the arm of the sofa, wrapping her arms around her legs and drawing them up close. She opened her eyes to see Rodney holding up a chair near the window.

"You're not seriously going to…" Tunney's voice was drowned out by breaking glass.

"Bill me," Rodney replied angrily.

"Here's the bag, Doctor McKay," the receptionist said when he entered the room. "And we've found some blankets. I'm sorry but we don't have spare uniforms or stuff like that…"

"Fine," Rodney grabbed the bag, phone and blankets, heading back to Jennifer. "You need to get as many doors and windows open as you can. You also need to make sure no one leaves."

It was not surprising to Jennifer that Rodney took control and that the security guards actually listened to him. But the look of shock on Malcolm Tunney's face was priceless. A hint of a smile passed over Jennifer's face. _That's right you little idiot, Rodney's a hero and commands attention from everyone._

"Of course, Doctor," the guard said. "I've had advanced first aid training. If I can help…"

"No, you can't," Rodney said as he wrapped a blanket around Jennifer, covering her wet hair and body. "I… Why don't you check on the other guy that got frozen earlier? And see if anyone else is trapped like Jennifer was."

"Of course," he said before he left.

"Walter. This is McKay," Rodney said once he heard Harriman's voice on the phone. "I need Landry immediately. We have a critical situation at this location. Please lock in on this cell signal."

Walter was talking to someone on the radio and mentioned getting Landry out of a meeting while Rodney shifted Jennifer to get a second blanket around her legs. He knelt down next to the sofa to get a better look at her face, which seemed a little less pale. Her brown eyes followed his hands as he reached for the bag to remove her clothing.

"It's a good thing you come prepared," he said smiling at the woman who loved him; he knew it was going to take some getting used to. _Jennifer Keller loves me._

"I try," she said softly. "I'm still real cold and need to get out of these wet clothes."

"Right," Rodney said. "Let's…"

"Doctor McKay?" Landry's voice came over the cell phone.

Rodney reached to touch her shoulder then stood and looked around the room. When his blue eyes lasered in on Tunney looking lost, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Leave. Now."

"What? Why? I work here," he started.

"_Here_ won't exist as soon as I'm done with this call," Rodney barked. "Now go and do something useful."

"Hey, I shut down the bridge," Malcolm whined as he back-pedaled out the door.

Rodney slammed the door shut. "Sorry, General, I need to make sure no one hears us. Give me a second."

The physicist looked up at the ceiling and Jennifer followed his eyes until she saw a familiar round camera. Even though the military was coming and going to confiscate everything and debrief everyone, Rodney was still being cautious.

The kidnapping of his sister had frightened him and Jennifer as well. Concern for her father had her sending messages to General O'Neill who assured her civilian family members were safe as long as certain protocols were followed. Jeannie was actually consulting for the SGC and it put her in a different situation.

A second smashing sound drew Jennifer back to the present. Rodney had climbed on the desk and knocked the camera out of the ceiling so it was dangling low enough for him to rip it off.

Once the scientist was satisfied they were not being overheard, he began to fill Landry in on the situation. Rodney returned and sat close enough to hug Jennifer to his chest while he spoke. Since he was capable of speaking faster than almost any human could think, he got through the download of _who_ and _what_ he needed in record time. "Tell Carter and Mitchell to ask for me when they get here," Rodney said as he reached for the bag he set on the floor.

Jennifer held her breath as he pulled the zipper back. The realization of what was in the bag beside the old MIT sweatshirt and jeans sent a wave of embarrassment through the modest girl from Chippewa Falls.

"Good. I'll be waiting for them and don't forget that Doctor Lam needs to get here first," Rodney said, staying his hand for a moment. "I want Jennifer removed to a medical facility as soon as possible. Have General O'Neill call me after you brief him."

Jennifer looked up and saw the stubborn set of his jaw and the intensity in his eyes. Her safety was more important to him than embarrassing Tunney and flaunting the fact that he was smarter than all of them. _If I ever doubt his love in the future, I'll remember this day. _A smile spread over her features and the fear that gripped her as she faded toward sleep subsided. _Rodney won't let anything happen to me_.

"Thank you," Rodney said. "McKay out."

Rodney looked down at the woman in his arms and saw her eyes drift shut. Afraid of letting her sleep, he moved to wake her only to have the phone ring.

"McKay," he said.

"This is O'Neill. I'd been listening in on Landry's call. What do you need?" Jack's voice said in his distinctive tone.

"I need Jennifer's father to be allowed to come to the SGC. I know you can make that happen," Rodney said. He realized please and other niceties might get him farther, but didn't have time to be something he wasn't, at least not at the moment. Once Jennifer was safe, he could imagine he'd be quite the happy, contented man with her for his wife someday.

"I'll bring him myself," Jack replied. "How bad is she?"

"She wasn't breathing and… she didn't have a pulse," Rodney could not keep the tremor out of his voice.

"Lam's on her way. Keep her warm," O'Neill said.

"Thank you, sir. For everything," Rodney replied.

Jack's snort could be heard over the phone. "She's rubbing off on you already I see. O'Neill out."

Rodney finally set down the phone and jostled the woman in his arms gently to awaken her. "Jennifer. Jennifer?" Her eyes fluttered open after hearing her name. The pale skin and unfocused eyes caused an ache in his chest and made him feel extremely protective of her. It was not something he was used to feeling.

He smiled and was thrilled to see her smile back. "The Apollo will be close enough to assist in twenty minutes. Never thought I'd be happy to see Ellis."

"How will they do that? Everyone will need to be cleared," Jennifer asked softly.

"We're close to Area 51. They'll go there and take choppers here. Should be on the ground with us within half an hour." Rodney was reaching past her and leaning slightly.

"You should get back out there," she said. _He must be getting the bag._ Once again she felt warmth flow through her at the realization of what he'd find.

"No, we need to you get into some warm… _clothes_." Rodney's voice trailed off as his hand emerged from the overnight bag with a piece of fabric that couldn't be considered warm unless one counted the affect it had on him. His eyes widened and heat that overshadowed that of the desert air flowing into the room coursed through his body. A black lace nightgown was crushed in his grip. "Um…"

"That was for tonight," Jennifer said, burying her face against his neck. "Or I hoped it would be."

"Tonight?" he squeaked. "What about tonight?"

"Considering I can barely keep my eyes open, I'll be sleeping in the SGC infirmary instead," she said from her position hiding against his body.

_Jennifer wanted to wear this scrap of fabric this evening. With me?_ "Uh… I'm, I… Jennifer…"

"I'm sorry," Jennifer said, lifting her head to see his face. The wide-eyed, stunned expression was changing once their eyes met. She saw the light blue darken and a smug look set in.

Rodney's eyebrows rose and a smirk started to tug at the corners of his mouth. "I'm sure we can put it to use a little later."

"I hope so. Hate to think Mitchell made me buy it for nothing," she replied, holding back her laughter because it would hurt too much.

"Mitchell?" Rodney barked as the smirk disappeared. He moved off the couch to kneel next to her so he could remove his jacket from her. "What's he got to do with this?"

"He's the reason I bought it for you," she confessed. Turning to help him caused a flash of pain to cross her face.

"Jennifer, what is it? What hurts?" There were few expressions Rodney could think of on Jennifer's face that didn't look beautiful, but pain was one of them.

"My chest," she gasped, rubbing her hand over her sternum.

"Oh, Jennifer, I'm so sorry," Rodney said, gently wrapping his arms around her.

"Rodney, you saved me. There's nothing to be sorry about. I'll heal. It'll be painful for a few days," the physician said. The pain flashing over Rodney's face made her lean forward to kiss him briefly. "I love you."

Jennifer's intense tawny gaze weakened his anger with himself for hurting her during CPR. The words he'd never tire of hearing did the rest. "Let's get you out of these wet clothes while you explain what Mitchell has to do with the lingerie?"

Jennifer chuckled as Rodney finished removing the jacket and then wrapped the blanket back around her, his hands rubbing up and down her arms and back.

_Okay, McKay, you can do this. Think about something else. Oh, yeah_. "What's this about SG1's resident heart throb?"

"Resident heart throb?"

"That's what my female scientists and Teyla call him," Rodney said.

"Teyla?" Jennifer was surprised the Athosian would think like that.

"Teyla checks out all the guys who come to Atlantis, you know. She used to pick out a new Marine every time new ones rotated in and smiled sweetly at him while kicking his ass," Rodney chuckled. "Now no changing the subject."

Jennifer smiled weakly as Rodney dug out her other clothing, socks, jeans and a sweatshirt. She told him about her run in with Mitchell at the mall and the Colonel's shock at their date as well as her plan to put him in his place while the physicist arranged her clothing on the couch. "So I had to go through with entering _Victoria's Secret_. I never buy this kind of stuff, but felt empowered I guess. I wanted him to know I'm seriously attracted to you."

The physicist smiled smugly once again as he began peeling the blankets off from her. As the realization that he was going to be taking her clothing off hit him, he closed his eyes and started counting off Pi as far as he could.

"Rodney," she said softly. "I really need to get out of these wet clothes. I'm still really cold and… I can't feel my feet."

The physicist's eyes flew open as he looked toward her feet under the blanket. As a boy, he got lost in winter near White Horse where his great grandfather lived and almost had to have several toes removed from the frostbite.

"I lost feeling a long time ago. I didn't object to you carrying me because I didn't think I could walk."

"When I was little I had the same thing happen to me," he said as he moved the blanket to see her feet. They were very white and when he wrapped his hands around them, they felt like ice. "Can you feel that?" his voice wavered as he pushed the idea of Jennifer suffering more injury from this fiasco out of his mind.

Shaking her head slightly seemed to set Rodney into motion. He pushed the socks onto each foot and then wrapped his blanket around them. Moving behind her and pulling the blanket down, he unzipped her dress.

Stifling a groan when he discovered there was no bra under it, he grabbed the sweatshirt to push over her head. Then he helped her remove her arms from the dress eliciting a couple sharp intakes of breath the must have been from the injury she suffered from his chest compressions. Having no time to beat himself up, he pushed the dress down and then put her arms through the sleeves of the sweatshirt. Finally moving in front of her, he was forced to look at what he was doing.

Tugging the dress over her hips and trying not to touch her smooth skin too much was a difficult task. Seeing her black lace panties was almost his undoing. Constant reminders that _she has to get warm_ and _you need to help her_ went through his mind. It wasn't like he'd let another man assist her. No other man was _ever_ going to see her without plenty of clothing on as long as he was around.

Jennifer was glad for the embarrassment of having to let Rodney undress her. It did bring a flush to her cheeks and increased her blood flow. His slightly calloused hands sliding her dress down her legs sent even more blood through her body.

When his hands moved to her hips while helping her get into the jeans, it made her entire body tingle and the feelings swirling through her lower abdomen pushed any fear of losing her toes to frostbite from her mind. _Some day, very soon, we'll spend a great deal of time getting used to touching each other._ A grin spread over her face as she pondered that notion a few minutes. "Thank you, Rodney."

"N-no problem." After undressing and dressing Jennifer, Rodney needed a cold shower. His reaction to her, given the fact that the room still felt like a meat locker, amazed him. Settling down on the couch, pulling Jennifer onto his lap and getting the blankets spread over her was a slow torture to his body, but he gladly bore it. _I'm going to spend the rest of my life desiring Jennifer, so I better get used to it._

As the physician cuddled into his arms once again, pressing herself into him as much as physically possible, his mind pondered how he'd like to spend the rest of his life; with Jennifer by his side, facing all the trials life could throw their way. As Jennifer's breathing leveled out, he allowed himself a few minutes to imagine this was just a normal evening after a long day on Atlantis. His smile remained on his face as he rested it on her damp hair and his eyes drifted shut.

TBC

**

* * *

A/N: Thanks to my 'little sister' for her help. You know who you are ;-) **


	15. The Cavalry Arrives

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for sticking with this. I think we lost a few, but that's okay. I understand AU is not for everyone. Thanks Betherdy for taking time from your busy schedule to help with this. Any mistakes are mine.**

**This chapter is dedicated to a special fan whose significant other ships out to unknown places with the USMC. My thoughts and prayers are with you. **

* * *

Colonel Samantha Carter sat in the prep area on the Apollo with Colonel Cameron Mitchell and over twenty Marines. Doctor Lee was in engineering getting several scanners and jamming devices ready to deploy as soon as they arrived at the Kramer Innovations lab and Doctor Carolyn Lam and her team were standing by to bring the injured to the SGC.

The Kramer facility was so close to Area 51 that it had been under constant surveillance by the SGC for some time. The team only had to wait for choppers to fly from the base and set up a perimeter so they could beam down behind them. It would look like they got out of the half-dozen choppers on the ground when they really beamed down from the Apollo.

"Security teams are ready to go," Mitchell said, pulling Sam out of her thoughts.

"I can't believe I didn't go to this thing," she said. "I can't stand Malcolm Tunney and since McKay was going, I didn't think twice about it."

"I doubt if you'd been there you could have stopped it and if the Trust operative is there, you'd have scared him off," Cam replied. He turned to the Marines when Lee entered the room and shouted, "Gear up."

"Sir, Ma'am," Sergeant Chris Raven said, stepping up to the Colonels. "Where do you want me?"

Raven was stationed on Atlantis and returned on leave to do some advanced training for the newest SGC recruits. The veteran Marine was one of Richards' strike team, which made him the best of the best, and didn't mind spending his vacation training newbies at the SGC.

"I want you, Patterson and Grayson with McKay," Mitchell said. "Don't let him out of your sight. If the Trust is there, I can't think of anyone more valuable to them than Rodney McKay."

"Yes, sir." Raven saluted even though the SGC was relaxed about it. All of Master Gunny's _boys,_ as they were called, preferred the more formal environment shunned by Sheppard.

The first thought Sam had when she entered the front door of the facility was that her BDUs were not warm enough and the second was that Malcolm Tunney deserved to be punched. He was sporting an indignant attitude when Mitchell questioned him and appeared as if they were inconveniencing him.

"I'm not the man's keeper," Tunney snapped.

"Where is Doctor McKay?" Mitchell repeated slowly.

Sam noticed Raven and his fellow Marines shifting and holding their weapons tighter. _They must suspect Tunney, but he's too stupid to be in the Trust. He's the perfect pawn though._

A short security guard stepped forward just as Doctor Lam and her team came in door with a couple of stretchers. "He's with Doctor Keller. She was injured."

Because Raven was standing between Sam and the guard, she saw the look on his face, a barely controlled rage tugged at the handsome Marine's features. All of the Marines on Atlantis adored Doctor Keller because she was friendly, sweet and saved Richards' life. Their protective nature was also fueled by the constant off world mishaps she got into.

"Take me to her," Carolyn said sharply as she caught up with the group. "She's in immediate need of medical attention."

"This way. They're down here," the guard said, leading them away. He apparently noticed the same look Sam saw on the angry, young Marine because his eyes nervously glanced at Raven.

"I'll stay here and secure everything and everyone," Mitchell said to Sam.

"Thanks," she replied. Jennifer Keller had become her friend while on Atlantis and since the Colonel's transfer back to Earth, the young physician sent Sam emails from time to time and even ensured a gift arrived on her birthday. For something to happen to her on her first date with Rodney seemed to solidify for Sam that any potential relationship between them was doomed before it could begin. _Too bad for Rodney, Jennifer would've been perfect for him._ Just tough enough to keep him in line, but sweet enough to do it without upsetting him.

* * *

After a short walk down the corridor Sam heard a commotion in an office up ahead.

"I don't want to go," Jennifer's voice said loudly, like a petulant child.

"It'll be okay," Rodney replied in a soothing voice.

Sam stopped when she heard the gentle tone. Never would she have imagined that the acerbic jerk who called her a dumb blond years ago could be capable of being so kind to someone. Her desire to see what was going on caused her to speed up.

Upon entering the office, which had its windows smashed and a ceiling tile dangling from the support grid, her eyes widened at the sight before her. Rodney was kneeling next to the gurney with Jennifer's arms wrapped around his shoulders and her head buried against his neck.

Carolyn looked amused, but kept her voice stern. "According to Doctor McKay you suffered from severe hypothermia."

"That's right. She wasn't breathing and didn't have a pulse when I got there," Rodney said, his voice raw.

Sam gasped as did Doctor Lam.

"Jennifer, please," Carolyn pleaded. "You know how serious this is."

"She said she can't feel her feet," Rodney explained. "They were white and felt like ice when I put the socks on them."

It was almost funny, if not for the seriousness of the situation. _The_ Rodney McKay clad in his tuxedo, minus the jacket, kneeling on the floor with a woman wrapped around him while carrying on a conversation with Carolyn.

"Jennifer," Sam said as she stepped into the room.

"Sam," Rodney's head swiveled as much as Jennifer's arms allowed him to and looked up at her.

"Rodney," she replied.

"I don't want to leave you," Jennifer said as she pulled back from Rodney.

The physician's brown eyes were glued to Rodney's and Sam honestly doubted she even knew anyone else was in the room, a look of fear mingled with some other emotion Sam couldn't place were on Jennifer's face.

"I'm going to clean up this mess and get back to the SGC as soon as I can," he explained.

"That could take days," she whined as her eyes drifted down.

"Your dad'll be there to keep you company," Rodney said.

"My dad? How?"

"General O'Neill is bringing him," Rodney said.

Sam bit her lip to make sure she hadn't fallen into an alternate universe. _Rodney called Jack and had him get Jennifer's father. Who is this man and what did he do with Rodney McKay?_

"Oh, I'm not sure that's a good idea," Jennifer said as she finally loosened her grip on Rodney enough for him to slide her arms off and gently lower her to the gurney. "He'll be pretty upset about all this."

Raven was quick to offer a hand and get McKay back on his feet. The physicist couldn't take his eyes off the pale face of Atlantis' CMO as Lam quickly got to work attaching monitors and had the medics raise the gurney.

"General O'Neill and my father will brief him so don't you worry about it," the CMO of the SGC said to Jennifer and then nodded to Rodney as she wheeled Jennifer out the door.

* * *

"Rodney, I had no idea she was this injured," Sam said as they followed the physicians.

"She got frozen in… and sprayed with water…" Rodney stopped talking and his face turned white.

"It's a good thing you found her," Sam said. "Carolyn'll look after her and Jack'll deal with her father. She'll be fine. We all know what a fighter she is."

"Yes, she is." Rodney's eyes were full of admiration and… _love_.

Sam felt like a fool because of all the surprises Rodney had for today. Deep down, the military genius knew McKay had it in him. _He just needed the right woman to bring it out. I really hope Jennifer won't be too upset with him after this._

As they walked after the medical team Rodney filled Sam in on the bridge and how they finally shut it down by opening another bridge. The Marines encircled them and Sergeant Raven stayed a few steps in front of Rodney as Mitchell ordered him to.

When they got to the main reception area, Mitchell had the guests corralled in the center and Tunney, Kramer and the other employees of Kramer Innovations in a separate area. Bill Lee was staring in shock at all the famous physicists in the room and Sam realized she needed to get him focused on something important.

"Give me a minute," Rodney said as he walked toward Jennifer.

"Sure." Sam raised her brows, wondering if he was going to do something stupid like pour his heart out to Jennifer in front of all these people. _Oh, I hope not._

* * *

Rodney moved quickly after Jennifer's stretcher before she was taken away. He knew that they were beaming her to the SGC with the Apollo in orbit so he wouldn't have much time before she was gone. Realizing he hadn't told her he loved her since immediately after he rescued her, the desire to do so again caused him to nearly run after her. "Hold up," he called out.

Doctor Lam stopped as Jennifer's hand shot out from under the special blanket Lam laid over her to grip the woman's arm. "We really don't have much time, Doctor McKay."

"It'll only take a minute," he said as he stopped next to the stretcher. Lam and her team stepped back to give the Lanteans a moment.

A Marine was standing close by his side and didn't appear to be moving. "Can you give us a minute?"

"Sorry, Doctor," the soldier replied. "I can't leave your side."

Rodney looked into bright green eyes and realized this Marine was from Atlantis. "Sergeant… Ah… some type of bird, isn't it?"

Jennifer chuckled. "Sergeant Raven. Chris, what are you doing here?"

"Heard you were in trouble," he said.

"And you're guarding Rodney?" she asked weakly. "Thanks. I feel better now, knowing he'll be safe."

"You can count on it, Doctor Keller," Raven said. His eyes still assessed the crowd behind them as he stood at attention.

Rodney nodded to the Marine and then focused all his attention on the woman he loved. He leaned over Jennifer, resting one hand on the side of her head and using the other to take her hand. "I'll be at the SGC as soon as I can. I promise."

"I know," she replied, squeezing his hand and removing her other arm from under the blanket to reach up and place her hand on his chest over his beating heart.

"I wanted to tell you…" Rodney paused, glancing around. Only Raven and two other Marines were close but the reception area behind them was full. Looking into Jennifer's smoky eyes and losing himself for a moment, he finally smiled. "I love you."

Tears welled up in Jennifer's eyes as she quickly moved her hands to push herself up.

"Jennifer, you need to…" Rodney's words were cut off as once again, she silenced him with a kiss.

Rodney was shocked at the intensity of Jennifer's kiss. He should have pulled back in surprise at the _very_ public display of affection, which he traditionally despised, but this was Jennifer and she loved him. All thought of Carter, Mitchell and the audience they had was gone as Jennifer deepened the kiss and once again wrapped her arms around his neck.

Never had he dreamed kissing Jennifer would touch his soul the way it did. This kiss meant so many things to them that they would swear in the future that it lasted for several minutes. Each caress was, at one moment, an apology for the lack of courage to express their feelings in the past and, in the next moment, a promise to spend the rest of their lives making up for that mistake.

In the newness of the emotions and feelings they were sharing, Rodney felt an unimaginable sense of confidence. It was unlike his normal arrogance. With Jennifer's love there were no obstacles he could not overcome, including his own less desirable traits.

It was that confidence that forced him to stop the kiss. Pulling gently but firmly away from her, he said in a husky voice, "You need to get to the infirmary. We can finish this later." His grin and the look in his eye must have placated Jennifer after her initial noise of frustration.

"Okay," she said as she allowed him to lay her back.

Gently brushing her damp hair away from her face, he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "Get some rest."

"Good…"

Rodney quickly stopped her words with his fingers to her swollen lips. "Don't say it. I'll be with you before you know it."

Jennifer smiled and pressed a kiss to his fingertips.

The physicist stood and rearranged her blankets, carefully tucking them around her shoulders. Giving her one last kiss, he turned to Doctor Lam and nodded.

* * *

Samantha Carter, like everyone else in the room, was stunned at the intimate moment they all witnessed. Normally when she saw someone making out, it grossed her out. The fact that she knew Rodney and Jennifer should have made it even more uncomfortable, but in this case she felt like she was privileged to see two people in love show their feelings so freely. She and Jack couldn't even look at each other in public because of their positions. A jealousy at the freedom Rodney and Jennifer had flashed through the Air Force Colonel for a minute.

"Told you it was a real date," Mitchell mumbled.

Sam had to laugh.

**

* * *

A/N: I'm introducing a new Marine in this chapter. He's the FanFiction persona of one of my fans. See what I'll do for a review :- )**


	16. Poor Tunney

**MGM owns all characters except OCs. I think Stephen Hawking, Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson own themselves.**

**A/N: Thanks for the wonderful reviews and Betherdy Babe for partial beta.**

* * *

"Samantha Carter," an electronically enhanced voice called as the Colonel waited for Rodney to join her because Atlantis' Head of Science still stood watching Jennifer get wheeled out the door.

"Doctor Hawking," Sam said with memories of previous encounters brightening her face as she turned to face the world-renowned physicist. "Sorry you're stuck in this _situation_."

"I am glad you are here now, but I must admit that I would have loved to have seen you in an evening gown earlier," Hawking replied as he rolled forward, ignoring Mitchell, the other soldiers and everyone else.

Sam couldn't keep a blush from rising over her cheeks, causing Rodney to roll his eyes as he stopped next to the pair. _Jennifer's safe so now it's time for me to get to work._ "What _is_ it about you that makes beautiful women fawn all over you?"

"From where I was sitting your girlfriend did more than fawn all over you, McKay," Hawking replied.

A smile spread over Rodney's face. _Jennifer's my girlfriend._ He couldn't think of anything sweeter to hear.

"Doctor…" Sam began.

"Stephen please," Hawking's voice replied, cutting her off.

"Stephen," Sam said sweetly. "I know you're going to propose to me, _again_, but I really am busy."

"Not to mention she's taken," Rodney added.

"What?" Sam's blue eyes widened as she looked at Rodney.

"_Please_. I'm not an idiot," Rodney replied, shaking his head. "Sam isn't gonna be wife number three, Hawking, so forget it."

"You cannot hold it against me for trying," he said. "Now, what do you need from me?"

Sam and Rodney looked at each other with surprise; having Stephen Hawking run interference with the other world-renown scientists in the room could be helpful.

"Thank you for the offer, Stephen," Sam said. "We'll let you know. Right now you could reassure people that everything is fine."

"Of course, Samantha," he replied as the Air Force Colonel swore that he was checking her backside out.

"Excuse me," the voice of Neil deGrasse Tyson could be heard. Rodney and Sam looked to see him trying to talk to Bill Lee, who stared in a dumbfounded fashion at him.

"We're wondering how badly Doctor Keller was injured?" Bill Nye asked the slack-jawed man.

"She was frozen by the time I got to her," Rodney said, walking up to them and nodding to the soldiers that everything was fine.

"She's gonna be okay though, right?" Neil asked with real concern in his voice.

"I think so," Rodney said without his usual confidence.

"We have excellent medical facilities," Sam added as she stopped next to Rodney.

As Neil and Bill Nye checked her out Rodney remembered an old conversation and decided to embarrass Samantha Carter for once. "Oh, Neil, I'd like to introduce you to your number one fan. Colonel Samantha Carter, this is Neil deGrasse Tyson. I told you I knew him." The look on Sam's face was priceless.

* * *

Malcolm Tunney was squirming and whining… and carrying on about how he had no idea that the paper he read could have _actually_ been real. He received a copy from a trusted friend he met during his first job years ago.

"Does this old friend have a name?" Mitchell, who had been playing the heavy during this questioning, asked from his position standing next to Tunney's seat.

"Jared Turner," Tunney said. "He's a venture capitalist."

Rodney saw Sam's eyebrows rise as she looked at Mitchell from her position near the door. The SG1 team leader paused from his posturing to nod ever so slightly at Sam as well. _They recognize the name._

Rodney was positioned with several Marines on the side of the room. His desire to tear Tunney a new one was tempered by his concern for Jennifer. She'd been gone for several hours already and he never asked to be updated on her condition – and truly didn't deserve any. _I'm not her family. Well, not yet._

Strange thoughts circled in the physicist's mind as he listened to Malcolm and longed for Jennifer's presence at his side as she had been during this ordeal. _Why did I let her run off? That's not going to happen again._

"At least my bridge didn't produce exotic particles," Tunney's words finally penetrated Rodney's thoughts.

"What did you say?" Rodney said, stepping closer to Tunney who was seated with his arms folded and looking pompous and superior.

"Your paper talked about exotic particle creation," Tunney snapped. "I didn't have any."

"Your bridge almost killed a couple hundred people, including Doctor Keller and myself," Rodney raged, striding swiftly over to lean with his fists on the table in front of Tunney.

"Well, I didn't. I had to save the day while you ran off to play hero for your date," Tunney stood up to face the red-faced Atlantis' Head of Science. "If she even was your _date_. Wouldn't doubt it if you paid her for her _services_."

A flurry of events happened next: Carter screamed _That's enough, Tunney_, Mitchell and the other Marines growled, Rodney launched himself at Tunney only to be caught by Raven and Tunney plastered himself to the wall behind the table.

"Doctor McKay, calm down, sir," Raven said. The Marine had McKay around the chest.

Rodney was so angry he couldn't come up with a response other than physical violence. "You son-of…"

"Doctor, let me handle this," Raven barked, pulling the surprisingly strong genius back from Tunney. "I'll hurt him for you."

Fuming, Rodney shook off the Marine and glared at the white-faced physicist.

"Sergeant!" Carter and Mitchell shouted in warning voices.

"Doctor Tunney, you just made some enemies you can never hide from. Some day when you are cozy in your life because I'm sure you'll find a lawyer to help you weasel out of jail, they'll find you. You won't know when and you won't even know they're coming until it's too late," Raven said in a steady voice, not too loud and not too forceful.

"All right," Mitchell said. "You and McKay out, Sergeant."

"Yes, sir," Raven said saluting. As he escorted Rodney out of the room, he winked. "I don't want you to get in trouble, Doctor McKay. He's really not worth it."

"But now you're in trouble," Rodney said, truly feeling sorry for the young man, but thankful it appeared he made Malcolm wet his pants.

"I'd be in worse trouble with Doctor Keller if I let you get hurt in any way. Not to mention Major Lorne and Master Gunny if I didn't defend Jennifer. No one refers to Doctor Keller as a call girl and gets away with it," Raven said as they stopped in the corridor outside the conference room.

Rodney allowed himself to grin as he thought of what the two over-protective trained soldiers could do to the _pretentious tool_ in the conference room. "Thanks, Sergeant."

"Glad to be of service, Doctor," Raven said with a smile.

**

* * *

A/N: Come on, Rodney can't hit Tunney. You know that!**


	17. Dad

**MGM owns all characters except OC's**

**A/N: Thank you all for following this story. It's a real joy to be able to tell 'my story' of Rodney and Jennifer after Brainstorm and have people actually read it!**

**Thanks to **_**Ice Menace**_** for using one of your ideas from **_**Relatively Speaking **_**and as always to my beta, Betherdy Babe.**

**Oh, warning: lots and lots of fluff because they're a couple now and they are full of it.**

* * *

"Rodney," Jennifer called out as she blinked her eyes, trying to adjust to the bright lights.

"I'm here, munchkin," a voice that was not Rodney's answered her.

"Dad?" A face came into focus: graying hair, soft brown eyes, half a smile and a look of concern mixed with relief.

"Right here, sweetie," he said as his big hands engulfed her smaller one.

"Where's Rodney?" she asked as fear gripped her. _Did something else go wrong?_

"You've been in and out of consciousness for two days, scared your old man to death, and the first thing you do is ask about some _guy_?" Robert Keller was as plainspoken as you could get, a fact that put him at odds with many people over the years.

"He's not just _some_ guy. I _love_ Rodney." Jennifer sat up and felt a wave of dizziness that caused her to slump back against the pillows.

"Calm down," Robert said as he moved quickly to push a call button next to her bed. "He's somewhere with the General, I imagine."

"What did you do?" Jennifer had no doubt that her father sent Rodney away. She really couldn't imagine anything else that would keep him from her except the muscular man standing next to her bed. A lifetime of construction work before he managed to purchase his own company six years ago left her father quite fit for pushing sixty. The jealous daughter sent many would-be suitors packing if they dared to even look at her father. _Oh crap, pay back time._

"What did _I _do? I got beamed like _Star Trek_ to a top-secret military complex to find out that my only daughter works in another _galaxy_, almost got _killed_ multiple times in the last two years and…" Robert was nearly shouting, "to top it all off, she now has a boyfriend. How the hell do you…"

"Mister Keller!" Doctor Lam shouted. "I'll have you removed if you don't calm down. I won't have you upsetting my patient." SGC's CMO stood with hands on her hips, glaring at the bigger man in front of her.

A Marine, obviously on security detail, also stepped into the room. "Is everything all right, Doctor?"

"Chris?" Jennifer asked as she recognized Sergeant Raven.

"Everything's fine. I'm sorry, Doctor Lam. Sergeant," Robert said, looking sheepish under the glare of the female doctor.

"Doctor Keller is recovering from a terrible ordeal," Carolyn began.

"It wasn't that bad," Jennifer chimed in, afraid the CMO would keep visitors from her.

"Doctors make terrible patients, so please stay out of this." Her glare turned on Jennifer.

"What's going on?" Rodney's voice came from the doorway.

Robert looked pissed as he visibly bristled and turned toward the door. "I told you…"

"Sergeant, get these two out of here. I won't have them fighting in my infirmary again," Carolyn barked.

"Fighting?" Jennifer tried to get up and immediately pitched off the bed to be caught by the quick-moving Sergeant Raven.

"Jennifer!" the other two men yelled as they pushed past Doctor Lam to get to the woman they loved.

"I've got you, Doc," Raven said as he scooped her up and sat her back on the bed. When the Marine turned, Mister Keller and Rodney were on top of him. "Out," the young Marine said, not batting an eye at the older men.

"I'm not going anywhere until I know Jennifer's okay," Rodney said, concern and fear etched on his face with a touch of classic stubborn-McKay thrown in.

"Sergeant, stun them if you need to," Lam said.

"Enough!" Jennifer shouted. "I will not have the two men I love fighting with each other. You two better suck it up or I'll make your lives a living hell."

Robert Keller started chuckling and ended up with a full-belly laugh by the time he was done. Everyone in the room had a look of confusion on their faces.

Sergeant Raven recovered first and pulled out his stunner. "Out."

* * *

Rodney edged closer to Jennifer, leaving Lam and Raven to try to calm down Jennifer's dad. The physicist was happy that more color was back in her face after not being able to see her for almost two days.

When Jennifer finally looked at Rodney she saw he was close enough to touch. Slipping her hand into his, she felt like a part of her had been returned. "I missed you," she said, tugging him close.

Her father was spouting off about a family member's rights while Lam said she was the physician and it was her way or the highway. Poor Raven was trying to maintain some order, but couldn't shoot anyone.

As Rodney stepped up to her bedside and reached out to stroke her hair, the two shut out everything else.

"I've missed you even more because I've been awake for two days," Rodney said with a smile.

"What happened?" she asked, lacing her other hand into his as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Rodney told her, modulating his voice around the arguing behind them, of how he spent a day at Kramer Innovations and then returned to join Generals O'Neill and Landry as they briefed her father. He got to see her for a while the first night when her father was staying in a room on the barrack's level until Carolyn Lam threw him out.

"Dad!" Jennifer shouted after Rodney stopped speaking.

The nervous scientist jumped off the bed and let go of her hands quickly. Even though Raven was between him and Jennifer's father, the genius was not stupid enough to push the man's temper to the limit. _He's already threatened me several times._

"I need everyone out," Carolyn said for the last time. "Don't make me call my father down here."

"I…" Jennifer realized the best way for her to get out of the infirmary was to placate Doctor Lam, so she smiled sweetly and said, "Fine. Dad, Rodney, please give Doctor Lam a few minutes to exam me."

* * *

Rodney and Robert stood on opposite sides of the door with Sergeant Raven watching them. _You love her. Be humble for her. _Knowing it was vitally important to his future with the beautiful woman in the exam room to get along with this man, he spoke carefully, "Mister Keller, I can assure you that I would never have _knowingly_ placed Jennifer in harm. I really do love her…"

"If you love her so much why did it take her _near_ death for you to realize it? Didn't you have any idea how she's felt about you all this time?" Robert stood up straight, making him about Rodney's height.

"What?" Rodney had no idea Jennifer had spoken to her father about him.

"She told me about a man who was the smartest person she'd ever met. My little girl's a genius and has been paraded around by teachers for years. You know I used to get up at 5am to drive her to calculus twice a week when she was eleven. I sat in the car because I wasn't leaving my little girl alone on a college campus. For her to say you're the smartest person she's ever met really means something to me," the angry father moved closer to Rodney. "She also said _this man_ was her perfect match in every way but didn't know she existed. That didn't make him sound too smart to me."

Rodney was so shocked his rapid-fire brain actually froze, leaving a slack-jawed expression on his face.

"Jennifer wants to see Doctor McKay." Carolyn emerged and looked at the two men.

"Ah… Sure," Rodney said as he hurriedly entered the room, still trying to process what Mister Keller just told him.

* * *

Jennifer felt awful and only wanted to curl up and sleep, but had to act like she was fine to get Carolyn to let her leave. _A nice soft hotel bed will be just right._

"Jennifer?" Rodney sounded uncertain as he reentered the room.

"I'm going to be released. Carolyn's gone to do the paperwork," she said with a smile as she sat up on the bed. "I'll just need to find a hotel room for me and Dad."

"The Broadmoor," Rodney said, not focusing on what he was saying because he was still in shock.

"Where you're staying? That'll be nice. Rodney, are you okay?" Jennifer asked, noting that Rodney had a dazed expression. "Please come over here."

Rodney walked over and stood next to the woman he loved. "Jennifer, how long have you been _in love _with in me?"

Jennifer felt a flush flow over her cheeks. "Since I met you… well, probably before I met you actually," she started, looking at her hands ringing the blanket at her lap. Taking a deep breath, she looked back into his intense blue eyes and continued, "I'd heard about you and something in the tales of your hostility and arrogance didn't sound right to me. I imagined you were as misunderstood as me and wanted to try to be your friend. When we met I thought we really hit it off and that I'd found a kindred spirit, but then… I found out about Katie and felt so foolish after Carson's funeral that I tried to avoid you."

Rodney's eyes widened and his heart swelled with even more love for the blushing woman before him. Stepping up to the bed, he leaned down so his arms caged her in. "I'm so sorry for being an idiot. I should have gone after what I wanted the moment I met you. I know there's nothing I've ever done to deserve you, but I'm not letting you go."

His lips claimed hers and Jennifer swore that she lost all the thoughts in her head as she moved her arms to his shoulders and returned the kiss.

"A-hem." A deep male voice sounded, pulling Rodney back from climbing on the bed while kissing Jennifer. _Oh no._

The astrophysicist had never been caught making out in his life. Jeannie got in trouble all the time, but he never brought girls to his house and refused any public displays of affection. Since he met Jennifer he carried her away from danger the day Carson died, kissed her in front of rival scientists and the woman he used to lust after and now, to top the past 48 hours off, had her father catch them with their mouths locked in a toe-curling kiss.

"I'm really trying hard not to kill him, munchkin, but this ain't helping," Robert said.

"Dad!" Jennifer shouted. "You better not…"

"I'm kidding," her father said, holding his hands up.

Rodney had turned to face the elder Keller but didn't move too far from Jennifer, only far enough for her to see around him.

"I wanted to let you know I'm not insane," he said calmly. "You said almost exactly what your mother told me and your grandfather years ago_, I won't have the men I love fighting. You need to work this out._"

"I never saw you and Grandpa fight," Jennifer said questioningly.

"Because the way he worked it out was to never speak to me for the twenty years I knew him," Robert chuckled.

Rodney's eyes widened and he let out the breath he was holding. _I can deal with that. Just don't make Jennifer choose between us._

"Dad, you're being ridiculous," she said as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Jennifer, you need to take it easy," Rodney said, reaching to touch her shoulder. Even though she had her coloring back, he couldn't forget seeing her fall the last time she got up and he refused to let that happen again. "I don't want you getting up until Doctor Lam says it's okay."

"She already did," Jennifer said, sounding as annoyed as he did with Carson.

"Not to me, she didn't." Rodney was standing his ground because keeping her safe was his new job.

Jennifer rolled her eyes and moved her legs back under the covers. "My feet would get cold until my clothes are brought in anyways."

"You do seem to be able to handle her, I'll give you that, McKay." Jennifer's father had a partial smile on his face as he stood with arms crossed near the door.

"_Handle_?" Jennifer's angry voice greeted Doctor Lam as she reentered the room.

"Doctor Keller, if you're going to get upset I'll have to keep you here and isolated from these two," she said hotly.

"No… I-I'm fine," Jennifer said, knowing Lam could keep her locked up if she wanted to. "Just stir crazy and wanting to get out of here."

"One of the Marines is getting your luggage and then you'll be able to go," Carolyn said. Turning to her father she said," Mister Keller, Doctor Lee has the transmitter ready and the nurse in the corridor can bring you to a room. It won't take long."

"Tranmitter?" Jennifer asked, her eyes quickly finding Rodney's, who wouldn't meet hers. "Rodney? Dad? What's going on?"

"It's fine, munchkin," her father said.

The CMO of Atlantis cringed as Doctor Lam's eyebrows rose.

"If anyone in this room repeats what he called me… _ever_, they will be sorry," Atlantis' CMO threatened.

"Your nana called me _Lil' Wobby_ for decades because your stupid Uncle George couldn't pronounce his _R_'s until he was ten," Robert revealed.

Rodney couldn't hold in his laughter at the thought of the tough looking man before him being called _Lil' Wobby_ by an old lady. The laughter turned into a cough as a glare came back at him.

"A part of me is sorry your father called you Meredith, but not right now," he shot back.

"Hey…" Rodney started.

"General O'Neill told me," Robert said. "He's a good man and I gotta say if he didn't sing your praises, I would have gone through with my initial threat. Now if you two will excuse me I don't want to keep Doctor Lam waiting."

* * *

"Why does my father need a transmitter? Is he in danger?" Jennifer said as she moved to get out of bed.

Rodney quickly moved next to her and took her hands in his. "It's only a precaution and your father is fine with it. You know Jeannie, Kaleb and Madison have them…"

"Because they were attacked," Jennifer finished with real fear in her voice.

"Jennifer, I won't tell you any more if you don't calm down," Rodney said sternly.

Taking a deep breath and trying not to squeeze his hands, Jennifer said, "I'm calm."

"The man who gave Tunney the paper is a Trust operative," Rodney said.

"The Trust?" Jennifer echoed.

"They don't know if anyone was at the event, but if they were," Rodney paused, not wanting to upset Jennifer any further, but unable to keep things from her, "the fact you were with me as a date _could_, and I stress could, put your dad into a slightly higher risk category."

"Are you in danger?" Jennifer asked as she swallowed hard.

"Not really, but the Trust has been after people with a wealth of knowledge as we know I have. Since you are now linked to me…" Rodney stopped as he let those words settle into his own brain.

"Linked? You make it sound like we're married," Jennifer said with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Uh… No, I… Ah…" Rodney was at a loss because that was exactly what he'd been thinking. _How does this woman read my mind? Because she's your perfect match in every way._

"Not that…" Jennifer stopped and looked down at their joined hands. Her left in his right and vice versa. _Just like standing at the altar. _When the thought crossed her mind, she felt her blush darken as she looked into his eyes.

"Doctor McKay?" Sergeant Raven's voice followed a knock on the door.

"Yes," Rodney said in a dazed voice. "What is it?" His voice was stronger when he looked at the young Marine.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Doctor Hawking needs your assistance," Raven said. "He said, and I quote: Tyson's being pig-headed and you will need to explain how time travel really works."

"Doctor Hawking? Neil deGrasse Tyson?" Jennifer asked.

"Thanks, Sergeant. I'll be there in a few," Rodney replied and then said to Jennifer, "I told you Doctor Hawking knew about the program." Jennifer nodded. "Well, Bill and Neil wanted to find out what I was doing so they signed everything and have been here for the past two days with Sam, Doctor Lee and Stephen explaining things. Poor Neil," Rodney chuckled. "I almost feel sorry for him. But now he and Bill almost bow when I walk by so that's kinda nice."

"Hey," Jennifer tugged him close. "Humble, remember?" A smile spread over her face as she pressed a brief kiss to his lip. "Better go for a while because I am taking you up on that hotel offer."

"You are?" Rodney stood back and raised his eyebrows.

"Yup," Jennifer replied. "I've waited over two years for you to notice me. I'm not ending our date at the SGC."

"You want to spend the rest of the time on Earth with me?"

"And the time after that too," Jennifer said unable to keep her feelings in any longer.

"Sounds like you're proposing to me, Keller," Rodney laughed nervously because he desperately wanted it to be true.

"We'll see, McKay," she said with her biggest grin since she woke up. "Now give me a good-bye kiss and go show off."

"What happened to being humble?"

"They deserve it. Nobody doubts you and gets away with it," she stated as a grin spread over Rodney's face.

"I love you." The physicist kissed her again and never felt happier.

**

* * *

TBC**

**A/N: I just can't believe the great minds of astrophysics wouldn't have known about the program. Thanks for indulging me.**


	18. Jennifer's Boyfriend

**MGM owns all characters except OC's**

**A/N: Thank you all for all the reviews. I hope I can keep you interested. No beta so all mistakes are my own; my beta is on vacation.**

* * *

"I'm sorry, Robert," Jack O'Neill said as he looked annoyed at the young soldier standing next to the table. "But duty calls."

"I appreciate you joining me for dinner, Jack," Robert said, rising to shake the General's hand.

"We can talk about fishing tomorrow after I settle the latest disaster," Jack said. "My cabin's not far from here if you'd like to get away."

"I appreciate it and I'll be more than happy to show you the best bass fishing spots I know back home," Robert said. _Getting away with Jennifer will be nice after her ordeal._

"A nice quiet trip to Wisconsin sounds wonderful. I can't wait," O'Neill said as he walked away with the Lieutenant that came to retrieve him.

Robert settled back with his pork chops and baked potato. It was the most appealing food in the mess hall that evening. He'd been out of the military a long time, but honestly thought the food hadn't changed in almost thirty years.

* * *

Glancing around, he recognized a few people from his arrival. Everyone treated him very well and when they found out his daughter was Jennifer Keller, they acted like he was royalty. Robert had come to learn that his little girl was well loved but often in danger. This latest incident on Earth appeared to be just another chapter for her bad luck. Fear gripped him after learning this and spawned anger because of his inability to protect his child. His anger needed an outlet so the nervous boyfriend got the brunt of it.

Rodney McKay was not the type of man he wanted for his daughter. She always had crushes on movie action heroes or handsome jocks when she was younger. He would've had no trouble relating to those types of guys, but Jennifer also confided in him about her pain at being dismissed by boys because she was smarter than them. It broke his heart, but as the owner of a construction company full off muscle-bound idiots he was not surprised. In his heart he knew a man like that wasn't good enough for his little girl. _She deserves a man to treasure her and worship the ground she walks on. It's how I treated Annie and my daughter shouldn't settle for any less._

When Jennifer was in medical school Robert got his first taste of _real_ fear for his little girl's heart. The crushes of a thirteen or fourteen-year-old were nothing too difficult to manage, but Doctor Carson Beckett, who Jennifer raved about, could have been a serious problem. Robert was afraid her _mentor_ might be an _older_ man just trying to take advantage of his innocent daughter. His fear was alleviated after time when he found out Carson was basically a long-distance father to Jennifer.

_McKay seems to be the fulfillment of that particular nightmare though. The guy was forty, according to O'Neill, and obviously the professor type and his little girl was obviously head over heels for him. _Rodney did seem to genuinely care about Jennifer based on the looks on his face and the sincerity with which he apologized for not being able to protect her. He was adamant about staying with her once he got back and it got ugly when Robert told him to take a hike. _But if she's in as much danger as they say, what could he really do to protect her from a physical threat_? Robert felt awful for judging someone by his ability to beat off potential attackers but it sounded like that was necessary on Atlantis.

As soon as he started thinking about McKay, his daughter's boyfriend appeared. Looking quickly for the nearest exit because he honestly didn't want to face the man he caught kissing his daughter once again proved futile. _I'd have to walk past him to get out._

"Mister Keller," Rodney said as he neared the table. "Are you eating alone?"

Robert put on a forced smile and looked at the scientist who was accompanied by two other men in civilian clothing. "General O'Neill got called away."

"Are you Doctor Keller's father?" a familiar voice asked from the tall thin man on McKay's left.

It took Robert several seconds before he recognized Bill Nye the Science Guy and Doctor Neil deGrasse Tyson from television flanking Rodney. Unable to keep his jaw from dropping and speech from leaving him, he could only nod dumbly.

"Yes, Bill, this is Jennifer's father Robert Keller," Rodney explained. "Mister Keller, this is Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson." The physicist pointed to his peers.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Neil said, reaching out to shake his hand. "Jennifer said you visited New York to go to the Hayden Planetarium. If you come back be sure to look me up and I'll give you a real tour."

"Uh… Um… Nice to meet you and, ah, thanks," Robert managed as two people that he'd watched on television smiled at him.

"She also said you watched my programs when she was younger," Bill said, shaking Robert's hand too. "We've been extremely concerned about Jennifer's condition so we're very happy to hear that she's going to be fine."

"Um… yeah," Robert managed. "Be leaving tonight."

"Wonderful news," Neil said with a grin. He nodded at the subdued physicist between him and Bill. "Thanks to Rodney, here that is."

"So I've heard." _They really know him?_

"Excuse me a second," Rodney said, stepping away to talk to someone on his radio."What's up, Sergeant?"

"So what do you do for a living, Mister Keller?" Nye asked.

Robert almost groaned. Jennifer never batted an eye telling anyone that he worked for and eventually purchased a construction company. After ten years in the Navy SeaBees, construction battalion, he went back home and worked his way up the ranks until the owner of his company retired and offered to sell it to him. It was an honest living and allowed his daughter to achieve all her dreams but it was often expected that the father of a genius should be one himself. "I own a construction company in Wisconsin."

"What kind of construction?" Neil asked.

"You are not hitting the man up to build that addition you've been talking about for years," Bill said, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"I haven't mentioned it for years. Alice decided she needs a scrapbooking room only last…"

"We build houses among other things," Robert said, without realizing he cut the man off. _I can't believe I'm talking to people I watched on TV for years._

"Great," Neil said, "Do you mind if we join you?"

"That was Sergeant Raven," Rodney said with a huge grin on his face when he stepped back to them. "Jennifer's been released from the infirmary. I'm going to get her and then we can head out once you're done with dinner."

"We?" Robert was afraid of this: Jennifer wanted to spend the rest of her vacation with Rodney.

"Uh… I got rooms for everyone," The physicist deflated before Robert's eyes.

He had to admit he was feeling déjà vu. _Is this how Edward felt when I took his little Annie away? No wonder he hated me. _"Is it a local hotel?"

"The Broadmoor…" Rodney began.

"The _Broadmoor_?" Neil said. "Alice already called to say if I stay one more day she'll be here with the kids at the Broadmoor."

"Is it a nice place?" Robert asked.

"Probably the best hotel in Colorado," Bill jumped in. "I stayed there once and might grab a room tonight because I don't have an angry wife to go home to. They have a great golf course too. Do you golf?"

_Pulling out all the stops for my Jenny I see._ Robert released McKay from the glare he was certain he shot at the younger man. "No," he directed at Nye.

"Me neither," Rodney pounced on a similar sentiment from him. "My best friend is always dragging me to the driving range he _built_, but I can't stand it."

Robert nodded then said, "I need to grab a prescription on the way out, so I'll join you in the infirmary."

"Uh, s-sure," Rodney stammered, having lost some of his previous bravado.

"Do you mind if we all tag along?" Neil asked. "We'd like to say goodbye to Doctor Keller."

"Fine." Rodney grumbled.

Robert could tell the genius wanted to be alone with Jennifer and resented the company. Unable to hold in a chuckle at how much this man reminded him of himself around Jennifer's mother, the protective Dad decided to give him a break. "Tell me, Doctor Tyson, why exactly was Pluto declassified? It's too large to be a member of the Kuiper Belt..."

Rodney McKay's sudden burst of laughter echoed through the mess hall.

**TBC**

**

* * *

A/N: You might wonder why Mister Keller is a SeaBee in almost all my stories. My dad was a SeaBee during the Vietnam War so it's my tribute to him. Thanks for indulging me with a primarily OC chapter.**

**I've been told by Betherdy Babe there is a **_**Keller Construction **_**in Wisconsin, so it does not belong to me.**


	19. Late Night Visit

**MGM owns all characters except OCs**

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and my trusty beta, Betherdy Babe. **

**I would be a bad author if I didn't mention **_**Rory Faller**_**'s story, **_**When Dreams Come True**_**. Those of you who read it will think this chapter sounds a bit like the beginning of that one. I hope it's not too similar or Rory will sue. If you're trying to find her story, it's M-rated so only those of the proper age and disposition should check it out.  
**

* * *

Rodney's body was begging for sleep, but his mind wouldn't stop racing through the events of the last few days. _Jennifer Keller loves me._ A smile spread easily over his lips at the thought of the beautiful woman kissing and holding onto him. She seemed to want to be as close to him as he wanted to be with her and the thought confounded his huge intellect. He'd get used to it, there was no doubt about that, but it was going to take time to sink in.

Years of sleeping on missions with the team made Rodney more aware than your average nerdy scientist of his surroundings. As his mind drifted to fantasies that he hoped would come true, the door to his bedroom opened letting a faint light in. Turning to look at the door, he saw a figure enter the room and quietly close it behind them.

It took two seconds for him to realize it was Jennifer. _What's she doing here?_ They had a relaxed dinner with her father in the hotel restaurant, talking about small isolated cities, Chippewa Falls and Fort MacMurray and Rodney felt as if her father accepted him without the blatant hostility of the day before. Jennifer had looked exhausted and her father forced her to retire as soon as they got back to the suite.

Sleeping with Jennifer across the hall from her father was a sure fire way to destroy any goodwill Rodney might have gained. Before he could open his mouth to ask what was going on, she turned back the covers and slid in. When he felt the smoothness of her legs and the silky material of her nightgown brush his skin, he groaned. Images of the sheer black material he'd unknowingly pulled from her bag at Tunney's fiasco filled his head. _How am I going to resist her?_

"Rodney, are you awake?" Jennifer asked, turning on her side and sliding her left hand across his chest, smoothing the material of his black t-shirt.

"Uh-huh," he muttered, incapable of speech. Her body molded itself along his side and her arm and leg wrapped possessively around him with her head nestled against his shoulder. The physicist helplessly wrapped his left arm around her and encountered more bare skin and silky material. _Need to focus on something._

"Rodney, I can't sleep," she purred close to his ear.

"Uh…" _Me neither_, he wanted to scream but thought better of it. _Don't think about what you were just fantasizing about. Don't... _Once Jennifer's tongue traced his ear lobe he thought he should stop her. "Jenn…" he started, but when he turned his head she captured his lips in a long, intense kiss, which he helplessly returned.

Being betrayed by his own body, his mind clung to random thoughts to stay grounded and not give in to the desire to flip her over to feel her under him. "Doctor Lam," he finally muttered between onslaughts from her lips.

"_Excuse me_?" Jennifer pulled back, out of breath.

"She said _nothing_ strenuous, remember?" he said, finally grasping onto a thought. The icy stare of the SGC's CMO was burned into his mind. When she first said _no strenuous activities_ _for Doctor Keller_, he thought Lam was talking about hiking or sightseeing. A laughing, blushing Jennifer had to stress the word _strenuous_ to get him to see where the other doctor was going with her warning.

"I'm a doctor. I think I know my own body," Jennifer huffed as she began kissing his neck since he pulled his mouth away. "Now, don't talk about other women when I'm trying to seduce you. It'll destroy my confidence."

"Ahhh… Jennifer," Rodney whimpered as her hand found its way under his t-shirt. "She said you'd be a terrible patie…" He lost all thought as her leg moved sensuously against him.

"Shhh," she sighed as she reclaimed his lips. Her desire to be as close to him as possible overwhelmed the normally reserved woman. The need to convey to Rodney the depth of her love not only verbally, but also physically was as strong as her sense of survival. _I need to be with him in every way. Why is he making excuses?_

* * *

After several minutes of kissing, Rodney finally gave in and rolled Jennifer beneath him eliciting a sharp intake of breath from the physician. _She's in pain. I've got to get control. _"Jennifer." He rolled back onto his side, struggling to regain control of his breathing. "I'm sorry. We-we've gotta stop."

"Rodney," she whined, wrapping her arms tightly around him and pulling him toward her.

"No, We can't do this. I'll call in Sergeant Raven to keep you off me if I have to," Rodney threatened. Doctor Lam had made a similar threat: d_on't make me send that Marine to chaperone you two. _

His obvious rejection stung Jennifer. When she was recovering in the infirmary, her only thoughts were that she would be with Rodney forever. Once again, doubt began to settle in. The young woman felt her head spinning and the world crashing in around her like back a Kramer Innovations. _When I almost died._

Rodney pushed Jennifer back into the pillows and reached across her to turn on the lamp. The sight before him almost broke his resolve. Jennifer had tears in her eyes and a look of pain on her face. Not physical pain, which he could deal with, but anguish.

As soon as the first tear fell, he lost it. "Jennifer, oh, Jennifer. I'm so sorry. I love you and I want to be with you. I just don't want to hurt you. Please understand."

"I think I was dying," Jennifer said softly as her voice broke. She was once again in the cold, frozen corridor. Only this time Rodney's warmth was keeping the cold away from her flesh._ He's not pushing you away. He's not pushing you away_, she chanted in her mind.

"Oh, Jennifer," he said as he pulled her tightly to him, pressing kisses into her hair. Rodney never knew how to handle crying women, but a crying Jennifer he'd dealt with before. Back then he was terrified of holding her too close as he comforted her after Carson's death. Now that he knew she loved him, he rubbed her back, kissed her repeatedly and told her he'd always be there for her.

"I-I h-heard my mother," she sobbed as she clutched his shirt. "I couldn't feel anymore." All the fear and terror from that night came out as she so hung onto the most important person in her life.

He shushed her as he felt something wet on his own cheeks. The raw fear in her voice tore his heart and he vowed in that moment to protect her from any further pain or fear. _I'm a genius, I'll figure out how to do it_. "You're all right. You're all right."

"I've almost died so many times. I gotta start living," she said, pushing away from his chest so she could look into his eyes. "I love you. I always have. I should have fought Katie for you back then instead of stepping aside. But now that we're together I don't want to waste a second. We don't know when it'll be our last."

Jennifer's words rang true with Rodney and at that moment everything in his life changed. _Some day I'll lose this woman because either she'll die before me or I'll die before her._ Looking into her flushed face, he felt a peace settle over him. "And we won't. We'll make the most of every second we're together," he promised. Shifting so he could lean over her without putting pressure on her sensitive chest, he stared deeply into her eyes. "I love you and won't ever leave you."

Tears and a grin appeared on Jennifer's face as she slid her arms around his neck. "When did you become so romantic?"

"As soon as you said you loved me," he said as he lowered his head and kissed her tenderly.

**TBC**

**

* * *

A/N: References made once again to **_**The New Arrival**_**, one of the first stories I ever wrote about SGA.**


	20. Family: Can't Shoot Them

**MGM owns all characters except OCs.**

**A/N: Sorry for the long break on this story. I have too many stories and too much real life going on. Thanks, Betherdy, for your beta.**

* * *

Rodney stared at the white hotel room door before him and was more terrified than when he and Ronon were stuck on a Hive ship bound for Earth. All the activities of the last day flooded his mind: Jeannie's arrival, an unusual dinner with the _family_ and the surreal situation he currently found himself in. Now that he was standing outside Mister Keller's door, the reality of what he was going to do hit him. Knocking rather loudly, he waited for Jennifer's father to open up.

"What can I do for you, Rodney?" Robert asked the physicist, who stood awkwardly in the doorway with hands in his pockets.

"I need to…" The genius was at a loss for how to start this particular conversation but luckily for him, Jennifer's dad was not as clueless as Rodney was.

"Ask me a question?" the older man filled in the missing words with raised brows.

"Uh, yeah, I would. Like to ask you, that is. A question, I mean," Rodney stammered suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. "I'd like to ask you a question."

"Well, come on in before you pass out," Robert said in his most menacing tone of voice. The anxiety in his mind was spilling out into his actions and he found himself almost slamming the door behind the man who saved his daughter's life. _Deep breaths. You are not going to act like Annie's father. You're better than that. _For a moment, the glowering image of his father-in-law came to mind. _Nope, you're going to be just like him._

"I don't usually have a problem speaking my mind," Rodney started.

"But this is different?"

"Yes. I…" Rodney looked into the same brown eyes that Jennifer inherited and noted a similar nose as well. _This is the man Jennifer has loved since she was a baby. If you don't get his blessing, she'll always doubt you._ The image of Jennifer lying in icy water suddenly surfaced as well as the woman sobbing into his chest the night before giving him strength to push on. "I realize we just met, but I've known Jennifer for the last couple of years…"

"And apparently didn't notice she was in love with you during that time," Robert felt the need to add.

"I… I was too self-absorbed to notice much of anything," Rodney confessed.

"What changed that?" Robert was going to pounce on everything Rodney put forward. A desire to protect his little girl's heart was strong because he'd been unable to protect her from the physical abuse her body had taken the last couple of years.

"I lost everything," Rodney said. "My mind, my intellect, everything."

Taken aback, Robert could only look curiously at the physicist.

"It was an illness I contracted. Jennifer saved my life," Rodney said with a smile. "She pulled off this amazing surgery and saved me."

"So you fell in love with her because she saved you?"

"No, I was in love with her long before then. It just made me want to do something about it. See if she felt the same," Rodney poured his heart out to the man before him. Images of Jennifer continued to drive him to open up to a virtual stranger like nothing before. A touch of guilt that he hadn't shared these thoughts with Jennifer crossed his mind, but the need to connect with her father was greater. "And now that I know she does…"

Blue eyes that had been looking at strangely idle hands looked up into brown eyes that were intently taking in every movement. Standing up straighter, Rodney found the arrogance he always had in difficult circumstances. "I love Jennifer and I know she loves me. I want to spend the rest of my life with her and… I want to make her my wife." _There, that wasn't so bad._

Robert hated being right. He _knew_ this man he just met was going to try to take his Jenny away. _Now I truly understand what Ethan went through when I wanted to marry Annie after two weeks of dating._ "You're both adults. Why did you come to me?"

"Because you're her father and she loves you more than I could ever imagine loving a parent," Rodney stated. "If you are against this, it'll be hard on her. I want Jennifer to be happy and your approval would ensure it." His eyes didn't leave Robert's face since he mentioned his desire to marry Jennifer. _Focus on your enemy_, the words of Ronon Dex floated to the surface. He didn't want to think of Robert as an enemy but if he was going to stand between Rodney and the woman he loved, an enemy he would be.

Taking a deep breath, Robert spoke, "I just found out my little girl has been working and living in another galaxy. I learned about spaceships and aliens and met celebrities from TV. And_ now_ I have someone who's IQ is higher than my weight tell me he wants to marry my little girl. You've gotta give me more time to deal with this. My brain doesn't work as fast as you and Jenny's do."

"I didn't mean tomorrow or anything," Rodney explained. "I wanna get a ring and ask her in the future. I don't know when we'll get back to Earth so we'll have to pick out a ring in the next week."

"Please!" Robert threw up his hands causing the genius to flinch.

"I…"

"No! Please give me some time. Don't go ring shopping. Don't talk to her about marriage. If you value my opinion and…" he paused unable to say the word, "blessing, you'll wait."

Rodney wanted to protest, but wisdom he seldom had held his tongue. "Okay. I won't say anything for a few days."

"Thank you," Robert said. "Now, I would be remiss as a father if I didn't tell you the only reason I haven't hauled you outside this hotel and taught you a lesson for sleeping with my daughter is the fact that you sent her back to her room and by the look of annoyance on her face without any strenuous activities."

Rodney wanted a hole to open up in the floor below him. His eyes widened and his mouth opened but no words came out.

"Jennifer's mother and I did produce a child. You don't do that by sleeping in separate beds," Robert said with a knowing look. "Now get to your room before I change my mind about that lesson."

* * *

Rodney lay in bed staring at the ceiling and waited for Jennifer to slip into his room, as he was certain she would. His horror over her father's _knowing_ look had faded slightly. Glancing at the clock, which read 11:20pm, he realized he'd never before longed to tell someone about the swirl of emotions that consumed his mind once he stopped thinking. It was the main reason he kept his brain so busy in the first place. His childhood was full of anger, vindictiveness and petty, mean-spirited competition between his parents, which rubbed off on him, souring his relationships with others over the years until he went to Atlantis and finally met Jennifer.

There was something about her that instantly calmed him. He didn't believe in love-at-first-sight or soul mates, but Jennifer made all those nonsensical things seem real to him. Sighing in disappointment that perhaps she really was exhausted, he turned over and attempted to fall asleep.

The door opened not long after that and he quickly sat up and turned on the small lamp next to the bed. Jennifer, wearing a fluffy robe and matching slippers she obviously purchased in the hotel gift shop, padded over and slipped into bed with him.

"Rodney," she exclaimed as she pulled him to her and kissed him with an intensity the physicist was surprised to receive at such a late hour of the night.

Trying desperately to gentle the kiss and loosen her arms around his neck, Rodney had to give in for a moment to enjoy the feel of her tightly molded against him. His arms slid around her waist and he forced them to remain seated lest they lay down and he lose himself in the kiss.

When oxygen was necessary to remain conscious, the physician and physicist separated. "Why," Jennifer said breathlessly, "is everyone against us?"

"What?" It was the last thing Rodney ever imagined she'd say. "What do you mean against us?"

"Mitchell. Tunney. Nye and Tyson. My dad and… Jeannie," Jennifer said as her voice cracked.

"Jeannie?" Rodney asked, pushing her back from her position clutching his chest and hiding her face against his shoulder. "What did Jeannie say?" Suddenly the image of the two women returning at separate times from the ladies' room came to mind. He'd been so captivated by the simple black dress Jennifer wore with a low neck-line that showed off the necklace he bought her to notice they seemed tense.

"She wanted to know if I was using you to advance my career or if I thought you were a pet project," Jennifer snapped. "How could she say that? I love you. Wasn't it obvious the last time we met that I would do anything to save you?"

Rodney was suddenly in a position to shed light on Jeannie's reactions. _Probably the first time ever. _"Don't be too upset. Jeannie's never liked anyone I dated." He was careful not to mention Jeannie liked Rodney's description of Katie Brown because the two never got to meet. _Another sign that I chose to ignore, telling me I was never serious about Katie._

Jennifer raised her eyebrows and moved back from him.

"Not that I dated _a lot_." Rodney realized how this could be construed. "Just girls in high school and college that she always thought wanted me to help them cheat. And then some who had it in their minds that they could change me. Remember I told you I was really abrasive a long time ago?"

Jennifer continued to stare at Rodney waiting for him to insert his foot and sure enough…

"I've always had a weakness for blondes so…" _Oh crap!_

"So you're only with me because of my looks?" Jennifer couldn't resist because she was very upset about Jeannie's reaction when the physician spoke to her in the privacy of the ladies' room. Rodney's defense of his sister only added fuel to her annoyance.

"Of course not. Yes, you're beautiful, but also smart and funny and…" Rodney stammered as he felt his face flush and control over his tongue evaporate. "I've never met anyone like you. Not Carter and certainly not Katie Brown. You're really my better half."

Jennifer continued to stare with her arms crossed now.

"I mean it. I'm a different person with you than I'd ever be with anyone else." He continued to claw his way out of the pit he found himself in. _Of my own doing of course._ _What possessed you to explain Jeannie's actions? You should be in her room screaming at her for ruining this_. "Once Jeannie sees how happy you make me, she'll come around. Your dad too. Jeannie always wanted me to settle down and have a family and when it happens, we'll be sick of her always coming around."

"What?" Jennifer gasped. Did he say what I think he said?

"I don't think we'll live on Atlantis forever," Rodney explained. "Can't say I'd want kids growing up there. At least not when they'd be in danger."

"You… actually want kids?"

"Sure. Someone to mold into my image…" Rodney stopped with his mouth open.

"What about your… _wife_'s image?" Jennifer was stunned at the turn of the conversation and terrified of interrupting his train of thought.

"I know that's not very humble. But of course I'd want the child to be like you…" Silence permeated the room after Rodney's words were uttered.

Fear suddenly gripped both their hearts.

_Would Rodney retract what he just implied?_

_Will Jennifer run screaming from the room?_

TBC

**

* * *

A/N: I have not done a truly evil cliffhanger in a long time. Sorry, but I have a reputation being overshadowed by many of my fellow authors, which I must reclaim**.


	21. Mr Keller and Mrs Miller

**MGM owns all characters except OCs.**

**A/N: Didn't want to leave the last cliffhanger around for too long so I have the follow-up chapter ready to go. **

**Thanks for all the reviews and to Betherdy Babe for her beta.**

* * *

Jeannie Miller was desperate for a cup of tea as the ones in her room were not to her liking and she didn't want to call room service again. She made her way down to the café in the lobby of the hotel as she contemplated the last twenty-four hours. Since she was beamed out of her kitchen to the SGC, Rodney's sister could barely take in all the amazing things she'd experienced in the last day. It almost rivaled when her brother showed her Earth from orbit the first time.

Rodney came to Jeannie's room to apologize for not meeting her for breakfast around 9am. Jennifer was very tired and Rodney said he had ordered room service for her. He didn't want to leave her alone, so Jeannie would be on her own this morning. Smiling and hugging her brother when he left, the housewife felt like she'd fallen down the rabbit's hole.

As she crossed the lobby trying to clear her head, she saw Robert Keller getting something from the front desk. It was already late morning so the lobby was relatively empty. Deciding that he was as unsettled with the situation as her based on his cool demeanor the night before during dinner, Jeannie approached the elder Keller.

"At least my husband is coming tomorrow to bring me all the stuff I forgot," Jeannie said, smiling and motioning to the overnight express box in his hands.

Mister Keller looked taken aback with her comment. "Oh… Um, yeah, I had to have a neighbor get something for me last night."

The two strangers eyed each other for a moment before they both started speaking at the same time.

Laughing, Robert Keller said, "I'd say ladies first but I think we both have the same questions."

Surprised at how intuitive he was, Jeannie laughed as well. "Can I grab a tea first?"

"I'll grab a coffee while we're at it."

Jeannie and Robert got their drinks, making small talk about the weather and the changes to their plans for the next two weeks. They took a seat in front of a large window with a breathtaking view of the Rockies in the distance and also a view of the elevators in case the happy couple that brought them together came downstairs.

"I'm a real straight shooter, so I hope I don't upset you with my questions," Robert said after a drink of coffee.

"I am too," Jeannie replied. "So I hope I don't offend you."

Robert nodded and spoke, "Do you think your brother really loves my daughter?"

It wasn't quite the question she expected, but it was close. "When I got here yesterday, my brother greeted me with a bear hug and ripped my luggage out of my hands to carry it to a conference room. He asked if I needed anything before he and Colonel Carter explained what had happened with our research. Then when we got here, he changed dinner reservations because the first place had a limited vegetarian menu. The only time he's ever been so nice, he was dying." Jeannie gasped. "I'm not… I shouldn't have…"

"It's okay," Robert said, waving his hand. "Your brother told me how he nearly died and that my Jenny saved him. I think that's what you're talking about."

"Rodney talked to you about that?" Jeannie was truly stunned that he could admit the weakness and suffering he'd gone through to a virtual stranger. "If he didn't look like my brother, I'd swear it was someone else. I can honestly say that he's never acted so different because of a woman ever before. It's like he's a better person because she's here." Robert's mouth formed a grim line and Jeannie was positive it wasn't what the older man wanted to hear. "Listen, I know my brother is a pain, but he's really a good man."

"I don't dispute that your brother's a good man. He can't have the respect of Generals if he's a complete jerk," Robert admitted. "He's just not what I expected…." The man across the table from her closed his eyes and shook his head. "I _am_ my father-in-law."

Jeannie laughed. "Kaleb was lucky enough not to face my father who is probably cursing me on a daily basis for marrying an English major."

"No man wants to think of their little girl getting married." Robert shook his head. "My father-in-law despised me the moment he set eyes on me. The only way he dealt with it was to ignore my existence until he died."

"I wouldn't jump to marriage that fast. Mer's not so good with…" Jeannie stopped as soon as she realized the father of her brother's girlfriend didn't need to know about Meredith's cold feet in his last relationship.

"Oh, he intends to marry my daughter," Robert replied. "He asked me last night."

"What?" Jeannie's voice echoed around the empty lobby. Looking quickly around, she smiled apologetically to the concierge who she startled from his laptop. "Are you sure he meant… marriage?"

"Yup, wants to go ring shopping before they leave."

Jeannie's eyes widened as she remembered Rodney begging her to come quickly to help him with something. She had no idea what, but was happy to hear from her brother after his call the first day saying: _something happened, Doctor Keller's been injured and I don't think I'll get to Vancouver. _"I…

"Now you want to know how if I think Jenny feels the same for your brother, right?" A cocked eyebrow met Jeannie's surprised look.

"Uh…" the younger woman nodded. "Yes. Is this the real thing for your daughter or some…?" Jeannie was at a loss for the words and shook her head. "I've gotta be honest. No woman that beautiful has _ever_ fallen for my brother before."

"Considering she's been in love with him for a couple years, I think it is."

"Years?" Jeannie gasped.

"Since she got there she's been telling me about this genius that never noticed her," Robert paused to take another drink of coffee, "so I told her to move on. She's always listened to me before, but the fact that she didn't this time means she's got it really bad for your brother. I imagine that since he's professed his undying love for her, she'd say _yes _to a proposal in a heartbeat."

An image of Jennifer smiling at Rodney in the recovery room after she'd saved his life in that cave months ago and the earlier guilt on the physician's face when she begged for the chance to continue to treat the physicist before Jeannie took him to Talus came to her mind. Jeannie had passed it off as the arrogance of a doctor, but now she thought twice about it. _Was Jennifer upset she was losing someone she secretly loved?_ "It looks like we might be seeing each other again."

Robert's eyes drifted to the box on the table next to his coffee cup. "I better give this to your brother then."

"What is it?" Jeannie asked, suddenly afraid for her brother's safety.

"It's not a bomb," Robert chuckled. "I could see that thought pass over your face."

"I… I just can't believe you're happy Jennifer might marry my brother."

"Oh, I'm not happy about it. But it is Jenny's choice." Robert lifted the box reverently. "And if I want to be a part of her life, unlike my father-in-law with me and Annie, I gotta deal with it."

At that moment Jeannie saw her brother hurriedly exit the elevator.

"What's wrong?" Robert said with concern in his voice.

"Nothing. Jennifer wanted me to let you know she'll be ready in a little bit and to apologize that she slept so late," Rodney said.

"She didn't _tire_ herself out, did she?"

Jeannie's eyes opened as wide as they could and flashed between her brother and Jennifer's father. The wife and mother was well aware the two of them spent the night in the same room.

"N-no. Of course not. She… We… I mean we talked for a while. Um, uh, quite a while," Rodney stammered as all color left his face.

Robert stepped closer to the siblings, his eyes narrowing. "I hope you didn't talk about what you and I discussed last night?"

Rodney swallowed audibly. "N-no. No, of course not. You asked me n-not to. Of course I didn't…"

"I'd like to take her to lunch if you don't mind?" Robert asked, obviously to end her brother's rantings.

"Just the two of you?"

"I'd love to have my brother all to myself too," Jeannie added, fearful the muscular older man might harm her brother. Sliding her hand around Rodney's arm, she held on tightly trying to warn her brother to let Mister Keller go. _He doesn't realize what he got away with._

"Here." Robert held the box he'd been holding out for Rodney to take.

Fear flashed in her brother's eyes as he reached out a hand to take the offering. "Uh…"

"You're going to need it," he said. "Mrs. Miller, it was nice to chat with you. I'm sure I'll see you for dinner."

"Yes," Jeannie replied, afraid to breath for fear her brother was going to get punched.

* * *

Rodney slumped against his sister. _That was close._ "I thought he was going to hit me. Ow! What'd you do that for?" Rodney rubbed the back of his head where his sister slapped him hard.

"You stupid man. You don't sleep with someone when their father is around," Jeannie explained, shaking her head and crossing her arms. "Couldn't you control yourself…"

"We didn't sleep together," Rodney said, lowering his voice.

"You were in the same room. Does it have multiple beds?"

"No, but it's not," Rodney stopped. "I don't have to explain myself to you. I'm the big brother."

"There's the arrogant jerk I was missing," Jeannie replied.

"Hey…" Rodney stopped and suddenly burst out laughing. "Thanks for getting me to shut up and saving me a beating that he did offer the other night."

"Okay, you are creeping me out with the manners," Jeannie confessed. "And you defied him? I think that might be a bomb after all."

"Oh, right," Rodney looked at the box again. "He said I'd need it."

"Could be a box of condoms?"

"Jeannie!"

"Well, he's resigned himself to you being with his daughter, so he might as well…"

"Enough!" Rodney sat down and opened the box. A note and a small box fell out.

"Oh my God!" Jeannie nearly fell into the chair next to her brother.

Rodney opened the note and Jeannie read over his shoulder.

_Robby, _

_Here's Annie's ring. I can't believe our little Jenny's got a boyfriend, let alone one that wants to marry her. _

_I'm glad you let me keep this for you. I knew you'd need it someday. _

_George_

Two sets of matching blue eyes looked from the note to the black velvet box on the table before them. When their eyes met, both had tears in them. "Oh, Mer." Jeannie suddenly lost her battle with her tears and threw her arms around her brother's shoulders.

TBC


	22. How One Date Changed Jennifer's Life

**MGM owns all characters.**

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to write, but this is where I'm ending the story and it's always a difficult time for me. I love the story and the characters but need to move on and leave them in a good place. 100% McKeller fluff ahead.**

* * *

Jennifer snuggled closer to Rodney's chest as they sat on a sofa in the hotel suite watching an old movie that Jennifer didn't care about. The Millers had left for a show in Denver and were spending the night in a more 'child-friendly' hotel to quote Jeannie. Her father had gone on a fishing trip with General O'Neill in the mountains, leaving Jennifer and Rodney alone until Sunday. The physician had other plans for the evening than watching an old B movie.

Moving the hand that rested innocently on his chest while she rubbed her cheek against his shoulder was the fist step in her plan. The cotton of Rodney's t-shirt was soft enough but she wanted to feel his skin against hers. Rodney's concern for her health and safety was sweet but she was a doctor and knew her own strength.

"Jennifer?" Rodney questioned as he captured her hand with his. The hand holding her shoulder tugged her back from his chest so he could see her face.

"Rodney, won't this be wonderful to do every night," she sighed as she leaned up and placed a kiss on his throat over his pulse, which sped up.

"Every night?" he breathed.

"After a long, hard day on a mission," she paused to nip his ear, "cuddling on your couch and then…"

"Then… what?" Rodney nearly moaned. Her smell, the feel of her pressed to his side, the voice whispering seductively into his ear, all made crazy thoughts pop into Rodney's head.

"A long soak in your tub," she whispered.

"Mmm," he whimpered as she nuzzled his neck and slid her arms around his back and chest to hold him tight.

The ring her father gave him a few days ago suddenly came to mind as thoughts of where this was leading filled his head. "Jennifer, I need to do something before..."

"Before what?" she said, lifting her head from Rodney's shoulder and grinning mischievously.

"Just close your eyes. I need to do this before we leave for Canada in the morning," Rodney said as he got up from the couch. "Please?"

"Okay," Jennifer replied as she scrunched her eyes shut. "See. Closed up really tight."

The physician knew Rodney was aware that a week had passed since they had been to Tunney's fiasco. A grin spread over Jennifer's face as she imagined him changing into something else or getting some type of massage oil. When he sat next to her and took her left hand she raised her eyebrows.

"What are you…" Jennifer froze. Rodney had taken her hand into his and then slid something smooth and round onto one finger

"Perfect," he whispered.

Jennifer's eyes flew open and saw a diamond solitaire on her left ring finger.

"No looking!" Rodney shouted as he enclosed her smaller hand with both of his.

"Rodney!" Jennifer gasped, tugging her hand, but not getting it loose.

"You weren't supposed to look."

"You put an engagement ring on my finger. Of course I'm going to look," she snapped. It was as if the words suddenly made the band on her finger feel tighter, like it could never come off. Jennifer's features softened as she stared into panicky blue eyes. "Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I'll marry you," she replied as her other hand rested on top of his.

Rodney was sweating. This wasn't supposed to happen. "No, no, no. I was only making sure it fit. I'm not proposing in a hotel room."

"I'm not taking the ring off, so we're engaged." Jennifer stated.

The chocolate brown eyes darkened to look like coffee with a touch of cream. Rodney knew he was lost. "But… I wanted… It should be some place special."

"It is some place special," Jennifer said as she moved closer to him and placed her free hand on his shoulder.

"The Broadmoor?"

"Not specifically the hotel." Jennifer chuckled. "It's the place we'll make love for the first time."

Rodney's mouth dropped open as Jennifer leaned forward to kiss him lightly on the lips. His hands released hers to slide around her neck and waist to hold her close. _You waited too long for this. Just go with it. For _once Rodney didn't over analyze the situation: Jennifer loved him and agreed to marry him. _Don't make it any harder by forcing yourself to propose like a romantic lead in a movie._

The kiss rapidly increased from pure and sweet into something else. The physician shifted so she was leaning into Rodney, pushing him back onto the cushions.

"Jennifer." Rodney managed to escape her lips for a second. "Are you sure about this? It's only been a week."

"Yes, Rodney, I'm sure," she replied in a breathy voice. "Do you want to make love to me?"

"Is Pi 3.14159265…" he started only to have Jennifer kiss him senseless. "I'll take that as a _yes_," she grinned as her eyes slid over Rodney's features.

The look of love on Jennifer's face melted the grouchy old physicist's final reservation. _Maybe I'll send Tunney a thank you card in prison._ Brushing the person who brought them together out of his mind, the man who'd held his love back for years finally gave in.

* * *

When Jennifer awoke the first thing she saw was a diamond on her left hand, which rested on the pillow in front of her. Her right hand was clutched in Rodney's hand and arms were wrapped tightly around her. The bride-to-be never felt more secure or loved in her life.

_I never thought anyone would make me feel safer than my dad._ Jennifer's eyes shifted to the ring on her finger when her dad came to mind.

Rodney shifted while spooning Jennifer, drawing her body even closer to his own. The pain, or lack of feeling, in his right arm should have him screaming in agony, but the soft, silky skin pressed intimately against him overrode any annoyance he might have. _I may never lose my temper again._

"Rodney?" Jennifer said.

He heard the catch in her voice. "Jennifer," he replied, starting to panic and moving away from her. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you? I knew we shouldn't have…"

"Rodney." Jennifer rolled onto her back and placed her fingers over his lips to quiet him. "Where did this ring come from? It's the same style of my mother's. How strange is that?"

"It was your mothers," he said not really thinking through the consequences of his words.

Jennifer pushed into a sitting position oblivious to her nakedness as the blanket fell around her waist. Tears rolled out of her eyes as she suddenly cradled her left hand with her right. "H-how…"

"Your father gave it to me," Rodney said, trying not to get caught up with the lack of clothing on the beautiful woman before him.

"My father?" Jennifer gasped as she swiped at the tears.

"Yes. After I told him I wanted to marry you," Rodney replied, raising a hand to gently wipe the tears away.

"You went to my father, who… I mean… He wasn't very happy to meet you." Jennifer couldn't get her mind around a confrontation between Rodney and her dad. "Not because of who you are, just because you're a guy taking his little girl away."

"I know," Rodney stated. "He wants you to have the best. I do too so we should get along great. _Eventually_."

Jennifer looked from the ring to Rodney and back. The enormity of what happened finally hit her. _I'm going to marry Rodney McKay, the man I just spent the night making love with. _

Rodney studied her face closely. She was getting over her sadness and when her brown eyes settled on his, he saw a spark of the passion he ignited the night before. Almost moaning as he remembered every second of their lovemaking, the physicist smiled at his future wife. "Ready for some more of the best _I _have to offer?"

"You didn't gain any humility this past week, did you?" Jennifer couldn't help but laugh as he pulled her close and began retracing now familiar skin with his hands.

"Absolutely," he said as he took a gentle nip at her bare shoulder. "If it'll allow me to keep doing this, I have no pride or ego whatsoever."

"I'll ask Radek about that once we're back," Jennifer replied as she mirrored the actions on Rodney's shoulder.

"Did you have to mention _him_? And please don't talk about Sheppard or Lorne or Ronon or the dozen other men who'll beat me senseless when we return." Rodney shook his head and drew back.

"You won't have any problems whatsoever," she stated as she took his face between her hands. "I can assure you that you'll be treated like a king."

"Really?" Rodney's eyes widened. "Are you going to threaten everyone with big needles?"

"Nope," Jennifer giggled. "Just one big Marine who's a hopeless romantic."

Rodney laughed and kissed her again.

As Jennifer was lowered gently to the silk sheets with the blessing of her family on her left hand, she couldn't believe how saying _yes_ to one date had changed the rest of her life.

**The End**

**

* * *

A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing this story. As you might remember I was never going to publish it but some of you **_**fans**_**, pushed me into doing it. **

**If you want a tag, you'll have to harass Rory. She's in semi-retirement so good luck!**


	23. Sequel Part 1

**A/N: I know, what's an update for this old story doing here ;-) I had a much longer story planned but needed to move on. I had this in my mind and wanted to get it out mainly to debut a new Marine – in honor of a real Marine serving her country. So you get an update to this story, I get to do something nice for a friend and I also get to do a first for me, as you'll see when you read this epilogue.**

**No beta, so mistakes are mine. **

**Spoilers- Enemy at the Gate**

* * *

Jennifer lay sobbing uncontrollably on her bed for the past fifteen minutes. She knew it was bad for her and probably worse for the baby, but the announcement from Woolsey telling them they were going into a battle zone above Earth with the Super Hive terrified her. _The Super Hive that my husband is on._ Being on restricted duty this last month was hard, but the further along in her pregnancy got the more issues came up. The stresses of her job and life on Atlantis were taking its toll. This mission and the return to Earth was the final straw that finally broke Jennifer's resolve.

Earlier that day she stood in the armory watching her husband, Lorne, Ronon, Teyla and Master Gunnery Sergeant Dwayne Richards prepare for a mission on the Super Hive. They were going to sabotage it from within.

Jennifer shouldn't have gone, but she wanted to be with her husband until the last possible moment. They had only been married eight months with her pregnancy beginning on their wedding night. The pain medication she was on after the incident at The Kramer facility apparently negating the effects of her birth control.

They hadn't planned on going to Vegas for a quick wedding, but when Jennifer's father almost begged them not to get married on a ship or somewhere without him being there, her husband took the opportunity to score points with Dad. Rodney said they could get married before they returned to Atlantis.

Going from first date to marriage in two weeks was a lot for their friends to take. Ronon still didn't talk to Rodney outside of missions and Evan looked ill when he saw them together. Surprisingly John was the most receptive, slapping McKay and saying _it's about damned time you got off you butt. _The IOA was not thrilled, but Woolsey assured them he would monitor the situation as they both reported to him.

When news of Jennifer's pregnancy came out during the failed attempt to save Todd and his crew, it complicated things. The IOA refused to allow one of their own to have children on Atlantis in the Pegasus galaxy. Rodney and Jennifer knew they would have to relocate to Earth at least until Woolsey and O'Neill could sort things out with the President.

* * *

As she helped Rodney get his tac vest buckled properly, several Marines came in for the shift change, Sergeants Robert Warrington, Dusty Mehra, Chris Raven and Will Carter. Jennifer smiled at the friendly faces and was grateful for their heartfelt _Hellos_ and _Piece of cake, eh, McKay_.

It felt like just any old mission, not the survival of the species or anything like that. Until Sergeant Carter joking referred to the fact that he felt slighted he wasn't picked for this particular suicide mission.

_Suicide mission._ Those two words summed up most of the missions SGA1 seemed to get picked for, but hearing it and seeing the reaction it got caused her to cry in front of everyone.

As soon as Carter spoke the words, silence descended on the room and Jennifer's tears started flowing as she grabbed her husband's arm. Before Rodney could get an insult out of his mouth Richards grabbed Carter by his vest and physically shoved him back out the door, cursing loudly at the younger Sergeant. The fact that Richards lost his cool was all Jennifer needed to believe she'd never see her husband again.

Lorne was as pissed as Richards and even Warrington and Raven were ready to string Carter up. Dusty suggested castration to which the others volunteered to tie him down. Everyone quickly vacated the room, leaving Jennifer and Rodney alone.

Rodney quickly pulled Jennifer into his arms, his bulky vest preventing him from holding her as close as he wanted to. "It's going to be fine. We have the element of surprise on our side. And Richards, Ronon and Teyla, the greatest warriors in two galaxies. Right?"

Jennifer couldn't stop the tears or the stammering. "D-doesn't m-matter," she cried. "I can-can't live without you." A sob ripped through her at that moment and Rodney began rubbing her back and kissing her head.

"Please, sweetheart, stop. This isn't good for you or the baby." Rodney pushed her back by the shoulders. "I'll meet you both on Earth in no time."

The baby was a weapon her husband used ruthlessly against her the last few months. It was the reason she had to reduce her duties in the infirmary and finally resort to only doing paperwork and performance reviews. He mentioned the baby if she didn't eat right, exercise or get enough sleep. She knew it was his love and concern for her and their child that made him do it, but it still upset her. _I'm the doctor_, she would whine.

Rodney leaned down to kiss her as her tears slowed. Her hands clutched his sleeves and she pressed her lips to his hungrily. After a long kiss that ended with both of them breathing heavily, Rodney let go of Jennifer and knelt in front of her large belly.

"What…" she started but stopped when his hands came to rest on the flesh housing their child.

"And, you, be good for your mother while I'm gone," he said with a scolding tone. "No kicking all night and no false labor. That scared us both last month."

Jennifer couldn't help but laugh at _The Great _Rodney McKay kneeling before her in an armory talking to their unborn child.

"I love you and can't wait to introduce you to the joys of quantum physics and classical piano music. Not to mention Batman," Rodney added with a chuckle, his eyes glancing at the door and then back to Jennifer's face. A grin spread over his face as he pushed her large shirt up enough for him to touch her bare flesh.

A gasp went through Jennifer at the feel of his hands on her and the baby took that moment to move. Tears sprang to Rodney's eyes and he leaned forward to kiss her stomach. "Daddy loves you," he whispered before quickly lowering Jennifer's shirt and standing to take her into his wife into his arms once more.

* * *

Thoughts of that final kiss floated through her mind as she continued to sob in her quarters. The city of Atlantis was flying through space at that moment and would shudder once in a while.

Jennifer's eyes snapped open and she sat up. _If the city's shaking we must be in the battle._

She pushed herself to her feet, which was not an easy task with her additional weight, and staggered to the door.

The corridors were deserted, as they should be, everyone was in his or her station. She was the only one who had no place to be. Walking toward the large glass window at the end of the corridor near the transporter, Jennifer saw the black expanse of space before her. _We didn't make it to Earth?_

"Doctor Keller, what are you doing out here?" Sergeant Dusty Mehra said.

"It's Keller-McKay," her companion, Sergeant Shyan Davids corrected. Shyan stood about Dusty's height with the same build and hair color, except for their skin tone and Shyan's heterochromatic eyes, the right blue and left brown they were almost identical.

"You're supposed to be back in your quarters," Dusty said.

"I need to go to the infirmary," Jennifer stated. She moved toward the transporter and grabbed her stomach to ensure the women didn't try to stop her. Let them think I'm… Her thoughts were interrupted by a strong tremor shaking the city. It hit so hard she had to grab the wall to keep from falling.

"Let's give you a hand," Shyan immediately said, rushing forward to aid the physican.

"Thanks, Sergeant Davids," Jennifer said as she held the strong arm of the female Marine.

"Why so formal?" Shyan replied.

"Because you're on duty," Jennifer replied.

Shyan chuckled. "Master Gunny taught you well, ma'am."

"Just because I'm going to have a baby doesn't mean I'm a _ma'am_," Jennifer snapped.

"Let's get her to the infirmary," Dusty said, glancing out the window at flashing lights.

The three women turned to see Earth come into view as another blast shook the city. This one knocked the women to their feet and caused Jennifer to cry out.

"Oh no," Dusty said. "Does that mean your water broke?"

Jennifer felt fluid running down her legs and soaking her pants a dark blue. "I think so."

"Let's move it," Dusty yelled as she helped Shyan get Jennifer up and into the transporter.

Jennifer felt pain in her abdomen and it got so intense she had to cry out and would have doubled over if the women with her didn't each grab an arm. "Ahhh. G-g-go," Jennifer wailed.

Dusty hit the infirmary on the transporter and then several things happened: the flash of light, which didn't happen when using the transporter as an elevator, occurred, Atlantis was hit with another major shock and the doors of the transporter opened into a darkened and empty corridor.

"Dusty, what did you do? This isn't the infirmary," Shyan yelled.

"I don't know what happened." The Marine turned and pressed the infirmary location and nothing happened. "Shit. What's going on?"

Jennifer screamed again. "C-contractions. I-I'm having contractions. Really close," she panted.

"Why aren't we moving?" Shyan asked as she lowered Jennifer to the floor of the transporter. "Move it. I'll take a look."

"Just because you scored higher than me on that IQ test and your boyfriend should work for McKay and not be a dumb grunt doesn't mean I don't know how to work the transporter," Dusty snapped.

Shyan repeatedly hit the location for the infirmary and then hit her link to call Chuck.

"What?" Dusty asked with an annoyed look.

"No radio."

"And no transporter," Dusty added.

Jennifer cried out again and grabbed Dusty's leg in a painful grip. "Doc, hang in there we'll get you out of here." She reached down to touch Jennifer's arm.

"Baby's coming," Jennifer cried. "I don't know why. I'm only eight months. This can't be happening."

Shyan and Dusty looked at one another in panic. For two seasoned soldiers used to taking lives, the possibility of helping to bring one into the world terrified them more than Goa'uld, Ori or Wraith.

"Dusty'll help you, Doc," Shyan added as she looked down the corridor.

"Me? What do I know about babies?"

"You have two younger brothers," Shyan stated as she turned the light on her P90 and looked around the corridor. "There's a room down here."

"I didn't _deliver_ my brothers!"

TBC

**

* * *

A/N: I've never delivered a baby and my 'pregnancy' expert wasn't online so my apologies if this sounds unrealistic to those of you who've had babies. **

**Yes, Master Gunny would go with them on the Super Hive. No way he wouldn't, so indulge yourselves Gunny lovers and imagine how many more Wraith would be killed with him there.**


	24. Sequel Part 2

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews. After starting this I realized there are a bunch of **_**pregnant-Jennifer-in-danger**_** stories, so I'm sorry to jump on that bandwagon. **

**I can't imagine the battle for Earth took 2 minutes so this is a bit longer. No formal beta so all mistakes are mine. **

* * *

Jennifer's cries were louder than the bickering Marines. The pregnant woman couldn't move a step further and Dusty and Shyan couldn't carry her, so they huddled in the corridor with the emergency lighting blinking on and off. The city shuddered frequently as they watched Earth come in and out of view in the large glass window. Bright lights flashed above the city, which implied the city had engaged the Super Hive.

"W-wrong. S-something's very wrong," Jennifer croaked as she gripped Dusty's arm tighter.

"Hey, you're gonna break my arm, Doc," Dusty groaned. "Let up."

"C-can't…" Jennifer howled in pain while trying not bite her lip.

"I think the baby's twisted," Shyan said.

"Twisted?" Dusty gasped with tears of pain in her eyes. "Doc's got a helluva grip."

"You know… backwards," Shyan said as her eyes met Dusty's. "We've gotta get her to the infirmary."

"And how do we do that?"

"We carry her. I'll see if I can find something to use as a stretcher." Shyan got up and ran down the corridor.

"Hey, why don't you let her pull your arm off for a while and I'll look?" Sergeant Mehra called after her.

* * *

Five minutes later after Shyan dragged back a small bench, they strapped Jennifer on with their belts around her upper chest. The physician was trying not to wiggle around but the pain was causing her to twist around often.

"If she wasn't pregnant a fireman's carry would work. She's not that heavy," Dusty said as Sergeant Davids knelt next to Jennifer and took her hand after they had to set her down not far along the corridor.

"We'll get you to the infirmary as soon as we can, Doc," she said, glancing at Dusty who looked like she was going to be sick.

"Sure, Doc, we just need a…" Dusty stopped and suddenly raced to the other side of the corridor.

"Mehra!" Shyan started to rise, but she was yanked back as Jennifer had another intense cramp. "Ah… Holy crap that does hurt. I thought Dusty was wimping out, but you've got an iron grip."

"D-don't leave me. P-please. D-don't want to be alone," Jennifer managed through clenched teeth.

"I won't, Doc. Just trying to see where Dusty went." She tried to smile reassuringly as she squeezed Doctor Keller-McKay's hand. The young physician who'd patched Shyan's boyfriend up repeatedly was always so calm and self-assured, but the woman before her was obviously scared and in great pain.

"This is great," Dusty said as she ran back down the corridor.

"What?"

"We're in the tower with the chair room," she said as she stopped next to the makeshift stretcher.

"I think Doctor Beckett's too busy battling the Wraith to help Jennifer at the moment," Davids barked, looking from Jennifer's sweaty face to Dusty.

"I realize that but at least he's close by. We just need to get her down a few flights of stairs."

"How are we gonna do that? The transporter's gone crazy and we can't carry her down the stairs on the stretcher. She moves too much because of the pain. ." Shyan didn't want to be negative, but she was a realist above all else.

"I'll get help. There's going to be tons of guards around the chair room."

Shyan knew Dusty was right so she nodded and her friend took off at a run to the stairwell.

* * *

Shyan was wincing in pain when she heard the sound of heavy boots coming down the corridor. She turned and saw Sergeants Warrington and Raven racing toward them. A surge of relief swept over her as she saw that her boyfriend, Sergeant Chris Raven, was safe. The Marine quickly pushed it aside and got down to business. "There's something wrong with Doc's baby. We need to get her to the infirmary as soon as possible."

"Jennifer," Warrington said as he handed his gun to Raven. "I'm going to pick you up. I know it might hurt more…"

"Do it. Please," she begged, unable to stop from wailing once again at the pain.

"How's it going?" Shyan asked Chris.

"The Super Hive is pounding us pretty bad and shields are gonna…"

At that moment the city tilted and the inertial dampeners didn't help compensate so the Marines fell to their knees and Jennifer's stretcher slid causing the physician to scream. The soldiers scrambled to grab onto the stretcher and one another as the city shook. The view outside the window was bright with streaks of yellow, orange and red.

"We're in the atmosphere!" Raven shouted to be heard over the vibrations that rocked the city.

Jennifer was whimpering as she clung to one of Warrington's big hands with both of hers. The pain was plain for all to see on her face as the Marines looked solemnly at one another.

Shyan knew enough to realize that the pounding they took would have weakened the shields. It was entirely possible they were going to burn up in the next few seconds. She grabbed her boyfriend's hand and squeezed tight. Brown and blue eyes stared into green as Raven's grip tightened, they'd been together long enough that the words didn't need to be spoken. There was nothing they could do for the civilian in their care but at least they were prepared to die without regrets involving each other.

The colors intensified outside the window and the shuddering continued. Light fixtures were popping in the corridors around them and Jennifer's steady groans of pain filled their ears. Jennifer's hand gripped their joined hands and Shyan looked across the physician to see that her other hand gripped Warrington's.

"We've got you, Doc," Shyan muttered. It was a useless sentiment but she hoped the physician whose husband was somewhere out there knew she wasn't alone.

* * *

When Rodney exited the Stargate he saw a serious expression on Richard Woolsey and Radek Zelenka's face. His 2IC stood with his hands clasped before him and his eyes avoided Rodney's.

"Why are we on Atlantis?" Lorne asked from behind the physicist.

"The Pegasus gate takes precedence over the Milky Way gate at the SGC," John explained when McKay didn't respond. "Where's Carson? We need medical attention for Ronon."

"Doctor McKay," Woolsey continued as members of the medical staff pushed a stretcher toward Ronon. "May I speak to you…"

"Where's Jennifer?" Rodney snapped. Fear filled him now that he was back on Atlantis and his pregnant wife wasn't there to greet him. He felt John and Teyla flank him as he waited for Woolsey's response.

"I think we should speak in private," the administrator said, motioning toward the corridor.

"Where's my wife!"

"Jennifer went into labor during the battle. There were compli…"

"Where is she?" Rodney reached out to grab Woolsey and shake him. His teammates each took an arm to keep him from getting into trouble.

"Doctor Beckett took a shuttle to Travis Air Force Base so he she can get to a hospital with the necessary facilities."

Rodney pulled away from the others and ran up the stairs toward the jumper bay.

John looked at Woolsey and said, "I'll take him." He handed his gun and vest to Master Gunny Richards.

"I figured you would. There are clothes in the jumper for both of you. Chet will tell you how to get into the base. Be sure to cloak as soon as you leave the tower," Woolsey advised.

"You mean _Chuck_?" John cocked an eyebrow as he took off after Rodney.

TBC

**

* * *

A/N: I wanted to wrap up in this chapter, but it didn't work. I hope the _real_ Sergeant Davids is enjoying this story.**


	25. SAM

**A/N: Thanks you for the support and letting me 'tag' the end of my own story. Thank you to all those who helped with this story. Thank you **_**Betherdy Babe**_** for brief beta. All mistakes are mine.**

* * *

Sergeants Davids and Raven paced in the hanger on Travis Air Force base waiting for the jumper containing McKay and Colonel Sheppard to arrive. The Marines had stripped their patches off to denote they were part of a top-secret mission. Dusty and Warrington had escorted Beckett and Jennifer to the hospital, leaving the couple to bring the others when they arrive.

The hanger was on the edge of the base and locked up tightly. _Experimental aircrafts were being used in the area and they might pose a hazard, _was the story used to keep others away.

Since Travis was near where Shyan and Chris grew up, they felt like they'd finally come home. It was hard for them to maintain their strict military discipline when left alone after the near tragedy they were a part of. The re-entry of Atlantis wasn't easy and the situation with Doctor Keller-McKay eliminated any celebration they might have undertaken.

"Sergeant Raven?" Chuck's voice came over their earwigs.

"Are they en route?"

Shyan hurried over to open the hanger doors so the jumper could enter and decloak once she shut the doors again. A hum that they both recognized arrived before Chuck could confirm the jumper should be arriving momentarily.

Sliding the door shut as quickly as she could, Shyan confirmed, "They're here, Sergeant Campbell. Thanks for the heads up." Once she got the door closed, she raced over to escort McKay and Colonel Sheppard to an awaiting jeep just outside the door.

"Where's Jennifer?" Rodney snapped as he nearly ran down the ramp pulling on a suit coat. The Colonel was given a dress uniform, which he was in the process of putting on as he followed Rodney down the ramp.

"We've got a jeep to take you to the base hospital, sir," Shyan said, nodding toward the door.

* * *

Rodney could barely breathe and he couldn't think about anything except that Jennifer was in danger and there was nothing he could do but hang on for the wild ride across the base. Sheppard had argued with the Sergeants about driving, but was reminded that no Lieutenant Colonel would be driving two Sergeants around so he grudgingly let Davids drive.

Once they reached the hospital Rodney flew up the stairs and started yelling for Doctor Beckett. He ran into Sergeants Warrington and Mehra instead. "Where's Carson? Where's my wife?"

"I'm not sure exactly, sir. Doctor Beckett had an ambulance take him and Jennifer from the hanger. We walked over," Dusty explained.

Rodney turned in a rapid circle and the room was still spinning after he stopped. "I'm gonna… Oh, I'm gonna pass out."

"Got you, buddy," Sheppard said.

Rodney felt his best friend's hands land on each shoulder and push him toward a chair.

"I'll go ask one of the nurses what's going on. Okay?" John asked as he released Rodney.

"Y-yeah. Sure. I'll just sit here while my wife goes through labor without me," he barked as he dropped his head into hands. Taking a deep breath he tried to get his racing heart and heavy breathing under control.

"Rodney!" Carson's voice sounded down the corridor.

The physicist jumped up and raced to the Scotsman who was dressed in surgical scrubs. "What happened! Where's Jennifer?"

"Jennifer and your son are fine," Carson said. "We had to do an emergency C-section, but everything is fine."

Rodney stopped as memories flooded his mind: playing chess, his great-grandfather trying to teach him golf, riding a bike on a country road, building a bomb at the age of eleven. _A son._ The feeling he was going to pass out returned. "I have a son?"

"Aye, he and Jennifer are waiting to meet you." Carson hugged his friend. "Congratulations."

"I… I have a son?" Rodney grabbed Carson and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Congratulations," John and the Marines said as hands clapped Rodney on the shoulder.

"Oh no," Rodney said, pushing Carson away.

"What?" John asked from Rodney's side.

"I have a son. What if he likes sports?" Rodney's eyes were wide and he looked like he was terrified.

"That's what his Godfather is for," John replied.

"Who said you'll be the Godfather?" Carson said from Rodney's other side. "I helped to deliver him. You've got Torren."

* * *

Rodney had to take a shower and change into hospital scrubs before he could go to the room Jennifer and his son were in. When they entered Rodney's eyes were drawn to the incubator sitting next to the bed Jennifer laid on. His wife was asleep and Carson gave Rodney a look that said _don't disturb her_.

The little blue bundle seemed too small to be a child, yet Rodney knew it had to be his and Jennifer's little boy. Neither of them talked too much about the sex of the child, but Rodney wanted a little girl to be as beautiful as her mom. The thought of a son either just like him or totally opposite of him frightened the genius. A son just like him could end up going through the same pain of growing up and a boy more like Sheppard might think his dad wasn't cool.

It was with great anxiety that Rodney allowed Carson to scoop up the little bundle and place him in Rodney's arms.

"I'd like you to meet your son, Rodney." Carson's face positively glowed. "I have to say, old friend, I never thought I'd say that."

"I never thought I'd hear it," Rodney said as he cradled the boy like he'd held a lot of babies-not only two, Jeannie and Torren-in his lifetime.

It was only a moment before the little boy opened his eyes and stared straight into Rodney's very soul. Every parent has been heard saying that their baby was the best. In that instant when the newest McKay stared into the same cobalt eyes that he possessed, Rodney knew his son was the smartest, cutest, best baby ever.

Tears freely flowed down Rodney's cheeks as he smiled and said, "Hello. I'm your daddy."

The baby moved in the blanket and his eyes appeared to open even wider. "He knows me. He knows who I am." Rodney looked at Carson only to find the Scot crying shamelessly.

"Aye. He can't see yet, but he hears your voice."

"Well, I did talk to him. All the time," Rodney explained in his usual voice.

A soft sound from the bed drew Rodney and Carson's attention to Jennifer.

"Rodney. You're here," she said as she lifted a hand toward him.

"Why don't you introduce Jennifer to her son?" Carson said, wiping tears with his sleeve.

"Introduce?" Rodney questioned as he moved as quickly as he could while carrying something more precious than a ZPM or his coveted Nobel Prize.

"The surgery. I've been out for a bit," Jennifer said as she tried to lean up to kiss Rodney as he neared the bed.

"I'll help get you settled," Carson said and hurried over to help Jennifer sit up so she could hold her son.

Rodney allowed Carson to adjust Jennifer's bed before he sat next to her and leaned over for a long overdue kiss. "Jennifer, I'd like to introduce you to Sebastian McKay."

Rodney and Jennifer had discussed some names for boys and agreed upon Sebastian for Jennifer's grandfather.

"Sebastian Angus McKay," Jennifer said as she reached with trembling hands to hold her son.

"Angus is my middle name," Carson said as he started to cry once again as Jennifer cradled her son and kissed his forehead.

"It's for Rodney's great-grandfather. He taught your daddy to use an axe, which he used to rescue me by the way," Jennifer added, her eyes never leaving the little blue bundle except to look at her husband. "I know he can't wait to tell you that story."

"I think I'll leave you three to get acquainted," Carson replied unable to stay without sobbing. The McKay's really didn't notice that Sebastian's soon to be Godfather left the room.

* * *

When it was time for Jennifer and Sebastian to go home, it was a huge production. It seemed like several dozen people were at the hospital to usher the McKays off. The proud grandfather ensured his grandson's car seat was secured in the new family minivan. Aunt Jeannie and cousin Madison had clothing and blankets, which were sent as gifts, loaded into the car they rented. Uncles John, Ronon and Radek were enlisted to carry the items from the hospital room for them under the supervision of Aunt Teyla.

When Carson wheeled Jennifer out of the hospital and proud Rodney carried his son in the tiny infant carrier, they were met by many more people. It appeared as if the Air Force base had been invaded by the Marines as they lined the sidewalk leading to the awaiting car. There were Air Force personnel mixed in of course: a newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel Evan Lorne, General Jack O'Neill, Colonel Cameron Mitchell and Colonel Samantha Carter.

Rodney proudly accepted all compliments about the cuteness of his son and said that the boy was destined to be handsome with Jennifer and he as his parents.

Carson groaned. "At least Jennifer's father still has all his hair so the lad won't end up with your condition by his thirties."

"Lorne, how'd you like to be the Godfather?" Rodney asked with a sour look for Carson.

Once the McKays were loaded in their van and waving goodbye, John leaned over to Carson and said, "Am I the only one who realizes the baby's initials are _SAM_?"

"No." Carson laughed. "Why do you think Rodney bought a mini-van?"

**Fini**

* * *

**A/N: Yes, Sebastian is a nod to David Hewlett's real son and McKay will be paying for S.A.M. the rest of his life ;-)**

**Sergeant Davids is appearing in _Sequel to McKay Plus 4_ and _Below Decks_ if you want to see more of her.**


End file.
